The 6th annual concert of the Colombo Wind Orchestra is on February 14 at the Lionel Wendt theatre, conducted by the dynamic Japanese conductor, Ms. Keiko Kobayashi.
As the concert falls on Valentine’s Day, there is a special segment of music for lovers, where popular pieces such as ‘Unchained Melody’ will be performed. The orchestra will also perform tuneful pieces based on British Folk music written by Percy Grainger who is best known for his composition ‘Londonderry Air’ which has been recorded by numerous popular artistes as the song ‘Danny Boy’. The concert showpiece will be the Virtuoso composition ‘The Year of the Dragon’ by the British composer Philip Sparke.
The Colombo Wind Orchestra is Sri Lanka’s only concert wind band. It was formed six years ago by the wind players of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka to bring to the music loving public the immensely enjoyable and colourful repertoire for wind orchestra. Today it consists of over 40 players featuring the whole range of wind instruments from the piccolo flute through flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, flugel horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba and saxophone, augmented with percussion and string bass. The sheer range of tone colours emanating from a wind orchestra helps to make the music it makes immediately accessible to all audiences. The positive feedback received from the audiences at its past concerts has encouraged the orchestra to keep moving forward presenting each year challenging and entertaining programs.
The concert is sponsored by the Dr. Earle de Fonseka Trust in recognition of the work it does in training talented young wind musicians.
Programme:
Percy Grainger’s Song
Shepherd’s Hey
Children’s March
Valentine’s Song
Salut d’amour in Swing
(Edward Elgar,
arr. Yosuke Fukuda)
Unchaind Melody
(Alex North
arr. Roland Smeets)
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
(Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio, arr,
Mikio Gohma)
Philip Sparke’s Music
Merry-Go-Round
The Year of Dragon
(for Concert Band)