St. Thomas’ Catholic International College (STIC) won several accolades at the 27th Annual Festival of Lanka Festival of Music, Dance and Speech 2024, held recently. The first group of choristers won the awards for `Best Outstanding Performance’ and `Best Overall Choir -19 years and under’ in the Intermediate Choir Popular Songs (Mixed Voices) English 11 to 14 years category. Group two of STIC also emerged as all-island winners in the same category and won the `Best School Choir Performance under 14’ award.
STIC also won first place in the All-Island Western Music and Dance Competition last year in the Choir Mixed-Open-A1 category at the national level. The All-Island Western Music and Dance Competition is an annual competition conducted for over 40 years by the aesthetic branch of the Ministry of Education to promote western music amongst the students in the country.
Creative abilities
The competitions provide an opportunity for schools to display talents and foster students’ and teachers’ creative abilities while they learn to appreciate the performances and talents of others.
Rev. Fr. Jipson Fernando, Vice Rector of STIC, said, “No pain, no gain,” a well-known saying that states that in order to attain progress or success in life, it is important to work hard. I would like to use the same idiom for our Thomian choristers, who brought honour to our alma mater by winning these choir competitions. Thomian choristers, under the guidance of their music teachers, Sajith Bimsara Thalgahagoda and Poornima Nanayakkara, worked tirelessly to acquire these great victories. The untiring efforts of our dear choristers need to be appreciated and admired. It is the passion of our choristers for music that has brought them to this height.”
Sajith Bimsara, choir master, said the dedication of the choristers enabled them to achieve this accolade. “I was born into and raised in an aesthetic family background. I learned through experience, hard work and practice that the satisfaction when parts harmonise together, the feeling when the dedication of teamwork pays off, the anticipation and stage fright, and the joy and thankfulness you feel when you achieve something are priceless feelings.
Skills and experiences
It may be just a choir competition, but the training you get helps improve other aspects of your life. I was fortunate to gain these skills and experiences, and that is what I always want to share with the choristers,” he said.
“As the music teacher at the college, my goal has always been to empower the students to reach their highest goal. Our loving students, who poured their hearts and souls into the music, practising countless hours, reached beyond the boundaries of their abilities.
Therefore, this immense achievement will be a forever reminder to us all that when hard work, dedication, and passion are filled with love, anything is possible,” Poornima Nanayakkara, the music teacher, added. Music teachers Salomi Anton and Primasha Nanayakkara also assisted in training the choir groups.
STIC also emerged as the third runner-up at the coveted 48th Shakespeare drama competition last year, organised by the Rotary Club of Colombo North in partnership with Colombo YMCA. STIC, being a novice school also won three out of the four awards, including Best Actor, Best Novice School and Best Stage Craft, competing against 17 other experienced schools islandwide.
Dilrukshi Perera, teacher in charge of the STIC Theatre Circle, said the victory proved that hard work, dedication, and teamwork can overcome any challenge. The STIC Theatre Circle started with the performance of Matilda and Aladdin at the college level, and the members have shown the same enthusiasm and commitment that assisted in achieving victory at the Shakespeare Drama Competition.”
