The acclaimed singing duo, The De Lanerolle Brothers, hosted their much anticipated annual Christmas concert last Tuesday, the 4th of December 2018 at The Hilton Colombo. The show which was titled “The Holiday Legatos” was a night of euphoric Christmas Music that entertained the audience from the very inception.

“It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas” was the carol that started off the evening. This was followed by “Let it Snow” and “I saw three ships come sailing in”. The brothers, as always, were nothing short of magnificent in their singing and continued to engage the audience with each passing song. The night which also comprised of a four course meal, started off with Blue Water Prawns with Dill cream, Smoked Salmon with Roasted Pumpkin Puree and Red Chilli Spinach and Cheese Galette with Mesclun Salad and it tasted absolutely fabulous and fueled us for the second quarter.

“It's the most wonderful time of the year” sang the brothers, as they announced that this was their ninth year singing together and for their ten year anniversary they would be doing 10 concerts in Sri Lanka and 10 concerts overseas. The brothers then went on to sing “Little drummer boy”, “Oh Christmas Tree” and the ever so popular “It won’t seem like Christmas (Without you)”, originally sung by Elvis Presley, which Rohan claimed he had never heard before until it was played on Real radio a few days back. Then the waiters lined up to serve us Cream of Asparagus with Parmesan Grissini. 

Everything was very well organised and the waiters served with an utmost sense of professionalism which must be commended. 

The show certainly climaxed in the third quarter as the pace increased with carols like “Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer”, “Oh come all ye faithful” and “Joy to the World” and they joined the audience on a stage in the middle of the ballroom. The carol “Mistletoe and wine” was deemed a special occasion as they were joined onstage by Gayan Peiris, son of the late Mahen Peiris, who was a pioneer of the original band that the De Lanerolle brothers were a part of - The Revelations. Gayan was simply marvelous and his angelic voice complemented the song really well. 

This was followed by “Blue Christmas”, a solo performed by Ishan. Rohan claimed that it was after much persuasion that he “let the bloke have a go” because it's supposed to be the De Lanerolle brothers and not Ishan De Lanerolle. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful performance by Ishan. 

The brothers also sang “Silent Night” which is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. We broke to have the main course with “Santa claus is coming to town” ringing in our ears. 

The main course included Roasted Spring Chicken Supreme Stuffed with Celery and Apple on Light Creamy Curry Sauce along with Herb Crusted Spicy Marinated Sri Lankan Modha Fish Mushroom Ragout layered with Chive Polenta Galette. They were served with a Timbale of Garlic Oriental Rice. The food without a doubt expressed why Hilton remains one of the most sought after culinary destinations in Sri Lanka. 

The final quarter of the show included many adored carols like “Long time ago in Bethlehem”,“When a child is born” and “Oh Holy Night”. As the crowd cheered for an encore the brothers decided to bring this fabulous night to a close with the much exalted carol Feliz Navidad. It provided the perfect ending to “Holiday Legatos”.

All in all, it was an extravaganza of Christmas music and the De Lanerolle brothers did an absolutely magnificent performance. It was most definitely a night to enjoy with the amazing cuisine provided by Hilton and the wonderful music which gave everyone present the perfect start to their holiday season. 

Pics by: Damith Wickremasinghe