The De Lanerolle Brothers held their sold-out Christmas concert ‘Can’t Wait For Christmas’ at Hilton Colombo. Adhering to the health regulations imposed by the government, the audience was limited to a certain number of guests, making the show more intimate. Requirements such as wearing masks throughout the show and showing proof of double vaccination were implemented as a measure of taking extra precautions. In order to cater to the high demand for the Brothers, more shows were added and the Brothers performed four shows in one day. The concert was the perfect entrance to the Christmas season as the two brothers welcomed December with their hit medley of Christmas carols.

 

The show started with a bang as the Brothers sang a few songs that were usually not in their Christmas repertoire. Dappling different genres and ages, the Brothers sang ballads such as ‘Unchained Melody’ by the Righteous Brothers and ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ by Anne Hathaway, adding their own twist to it. These were tracks that would have been performed in a usual De Lanerolle show. The Brothers moved onto Christmas hits such as ‘Long Time Ago in Bethlehem’ and ‘Let It Snow’. The brothers prompted the crowd to sing along with them, celebrating the true spirit of Christmas. Subsequently, one of the Brothers, Ishan De Lanerolle performed a lovely version of ‘Blue Christmas’ with his rich, deep voice reverberating in the room.

 

With a short break in between, the latter part of the show began with classics such as ‘Silent Night’ and ‘O Holy Night’ and the Brothers’ heavenly harmonies that made a vast impact in the hearts of the audience. The set continued with more upbeat and fast-paced songs such as ‘Rudolf the Reindeer’ and ‘Santa Claus is Coming To Town’ and their performance was accompanied by a cheerful Santa Claus who animatedly wandered across the room. The set came to an end with the Brothers’ children, Yohan and Khalia De Lanerolle executing a joyful performance with ‘Feliz Navidad’. The two prodigies were joined by the stars of the evening towards the end of the song and were followed by thunderous applause from the audience, with many cheering loudly for them. The show was followed by a buffet at Graze Kitchen.

 

 Pramith - “It was a wonderful sight to see them singing with their kids at the end”  

 Swen  -“It was simply fabulous. I loved how they started with their usual songs and moved on to sing Christmas songs

 Malathi  -“It was really good. I really enjoyed the show and my favourite song would have to be Blue Christmas”

 Priyanthi de Silva - “My Son and I were delighted to be at the Christmas concert by our much loved De Lanerolle Brothers! Firstly, the stage, lighting, seating arrangements with social distancing in mind (beautiful chairs too!), were all perfectly executed. Everyone was required to wear masks throughout the show and all complied unlike what I have seen at certain other events. The brothers started off with one of my FAVOURITE songs sung by them at many shows (Marry Me) which I never get tired of listening to, followed by 3 other lovely songs and then the Christmas songs. Rohan’s humour and the way he bonds with the audience is something I truly love. Ishan’s voice is on another level! These two brothers are so entertaining and so genuine with their love and appreciation towards their audience. The show was followed by a fabulous dinner at the Graze Kitchen and even from there, I was listening to the brothers singing again at their final show for the evening! Can’t quite get enough of them I guess! Congratulations to the Hilton for being strict with social distancing and mask-wearing as well as organising this show so well and to the Brothers for helping us all de-stress with their wonderful entertainment. Thank you!”

 Gill Brown - “Something I never expected when I left the UK for a short holiday in Sri Lanka was to witness a simply amazing concert. I happened to come to the Hilton Colombo with friends and even though we didn’t have a ticket we watched from a distance. To imagine that Christmas is celebrated in this manner with some amazing singing with beautiful backdrops and breathtaking decor at the Hilton Colombo was simply amazing. We truly loved what we heard and saw. Truly gave me that start to Christmas”

 Shanalie Rodrigo - “I first heard the De Lanorolle brothers sing over 10 years ago and have been hooked since. It was so great to hear them once again and I can’t think of a better way to get into the Christmas spirit. We all had a wonderful time and I'd like to thank dialog star points for coming through ..”

 Damayanthi - “It was an excellent show”

 Shirendra Lawrence - “Despite the challenges of these times, We need a little sparkle to kick off the season . As always, Rohan and Ishan did a super job of ticking that box”

 

BY TIRANYA RANASINGHE