This was indeed a fitting title for the Methodist College choir as they performed on the 10th and 11th of June at the Lionel Wendt. Fire with grace describes their performance perfectly as they began on opening night, with the chorus of ‘Bridge over troubled water’ moving on to ‘Look at the world’ by John Rutter. As their voices blended together, a seemingly out of this world tone was created setting a tranquil ambiance.

This was followed by Oh Mary don’t you weep, which was a perky and upbeat gospel melody. Love divine, yet another arrangement of John Rutter’s maintained an ethereal tone, with varied echoes on the climax, ultimately ending on a sweet whisper. Guest performers, the Metho Cantati, performed present day hits such as ‘story of my life’ unconditionally and just haven’t met you yet, their facial and vocal expression being intensely convincing to the audience. However their costume for this segment lacked flair detracting from their vocal standards.
An acapella version of 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams followed, which was quite hippy and upbeat. Their red and blue outfits, extensive choreography and vivid expression with never a dull moment on their faces truly complemented it all. The medley of 'I believe I can fly' too was impressive, as they sang with conviction that they came “to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise.”

The second segment of the Metho Cantati, consisting of a Katy Perry medley- Wide Awake, Roar and Fireworks was outstanding as they both literally and metaphorically lit up the stage captivating the audience.

'I don’t know how to love him', as they lamented Mary’s plight emphasized the true hallmark of this choir, that their focus was not solely on technicalities and vocal quality, but to also sing with emotion and belief. The Sinhala Melody aroused the enthusiasm of all present. Well known songs with appropriate movements, together with the entry of a few members in flowing skirts representing the  ‘ladies’ caught everyone’s attention.

The third segment of Metho Cantati displayed interesting dance movements for 'Living on a prayer and a mash up of 'Starships' and 'Party rock anthem', bringing in much life to the audience. Bellas Finals, quite hackneyed as of late, was impressive although the synchronization was a bit iffy in certain parts. Something noteworthy was that the choristers maintained their stance as performers with finesse, from the time they stepped on stage until the very end, with smooth transitions and even a happy march to the beat as they changed positions!
One of the exceptional performances included 'River deep mountain high'. It was sung with attitude, conveying the mood of the song, with impressive choreography, sudden spurts of movements and changes in dynamics, well suited for this arrangement. To end this memorable event they sang the chorus of 'Look at the World' moving onto the complete version of 'Bridge over troubled water'. Their eyes lit up with fire while remaining graceful setting a serene atmosphere apt for the finale. It was indeed an awe inspiring performance!

Having had personal experience with this choir, it was clear that despite the many new comers they had managed to maintain previous standards, improve on various aspects and most importantly move the audience through the universal language of music.

Comments from the audience

Vishni - Mind blowing as always. They never fail to surprise us every time we come.

Jashan - Spectacular on all counts. Loved every minute of it. Wished it could have been more than 1 ½ hours long. Choreography was excellent. Well trained and well practised.

Amali de Silva - It was superb. They have put a lot of effort into it, the kids, teachers, Sanjeev and his team.

Senaka - The show was very good. Their singing had a lot of expressions and dynamics. Their choreography and costumes complemented the show. Keep up the good work.

Surath - Considering that even the music was live, the sync and quality were excellent.

By Sindhu Ratnarajan