Therapy For The Soul 

Reviewed by Shaluka Herath and Menath Kahapola 

The Trinity College Choir’s Mind Your Music concert can be considered a modest attempt to showcase the Choir’s wide variety of repertoire, incorporating a broad array of music from different styles, genres, and eras. This ‘traditional’ concert is recorded to have had its inception in the ’70s, continuing through the ’80s and ’90s as an on-and-off event. Subsequently, due to enthusiastic requests and the Choir’s busy schedule, the concert has settled into a biennial event.

Mind Your Music concerts are themed events. Each theme results from a careful search and consideration of suitability, emphasizing openness to different styles of music as they evolve over the years. The MYM concerts of the recent past have held themes such as ‘Plainsong to Pop,’ ‘Rhymes to Rhapsody,’ ‘Musicals to Movies,’ and the most recent ‘Jingles to Jazz.’ The songs and artists are selected after meticulous research and consideration, ensuring a purposeful choice.

Through this concert, choristers received a greater sense of appreciation towards all forms and styles of music, distinguishing and appreciating the nuances and styles of each. The fact that almost all the music performed had been specially arranged for the character of the Choir, save for those musical pieces composed by the Masters with recognized choral arrangements, helped them to absorb the experience fully.

The 2024 edition of Mind Your Music was performed by the Trinity College Choir on the evening of July 20th at the college main hall. Under the theme of “Classics to Chart-Hits,” the concert celebrated pieces considered Classics, which have earned much respect since their composition but don’t necessarily fall under the modern idea of ‘pop’ songs, while still managing to remain ‘evergreen.’ The concert featured performances of classics and songs that reached the Top Ten in the music charts, staying in our hearts as Hits.

The carefully curated song list gave the audience time to remember. The list of masterpieces is as such, starting off with the Mind Your Music Theme, which is inspired by the theme of the famous British sitcom “Mind Your Language.”

A choir-accompanied solo rendered “To Music” (1817). A subsequent soloist delivered “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (~1865). “Linden Lea” (1902) and “Moonlight Bay” (1912) was rendered by the choir. A soloist, accompanied by the choir, offered “As Time Goes By” (1931), followed by a solo performance of “Edelweiss” (1959). A duet then presented “Ranwan Ran Kendi Pirala” (1956). “Good Luck Charm” (1962), and “The Longest Time” (1983) were performed and arranged by the choristers themselves.

After a short break, a trio delivered “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963), followed by a duet performance of “Sunny” (1966) with a violin accompaniment by a Chorister, a challenging part to play. A soloist then presented the well-known song “On Top of the World” (1972). Another accompanied soloist offered a rendition of “My Friend the Wind” (1973), which also featured a Sirtaki dance (Greek origin) performed by four Choristers. The powerful song “Another Brick in the Wall” (1979) was brought to life by an enactment that added a dramatic element to the performance. A soloist delivered “Take On Me” (1984). “It’s a Kind of Magic” (1986) was performed as a solo, leading to a duet’s encore performance of “Kingston Town” (1970). Finally, the Choirmaster was invited by the Choir to deliver an impromptu rendition of “We Thank Thee” (1962) to bring the Night to a close.

The Trinity College Choir is not only builds accomplished Choristers, but helps to develop instrumentalists. The Choristers are privileged to be inspired by performing with world-class musicians, and are enriched in their musicality by the rich choice of Choral music they engage in. Choristers who develop their skills in playing instruments to a high standard get the opportunity to perform with the Choir

Special recognition is also given to the choirmaster, all staff members, members of the media unit, and musicians who were pivotal in achieving the show’s final goal.  Finally, the great voices of the Trinity College Choir deserve appreciation for their incredible performance and their service in all spiritual and holy aspects of this sacred institution.

All in all, Mind Your Music 2024 was an enjoyable and joyous evening, consisting of breath-taking performances from all the choristers, equally supported by all staff and students involved. The show stands as a testament to the high standard maintained by the Trinity College Choir and the undying spirit of the choristers to surpass that standard, always raising the bar higher and higher.