Home

News

Politics

Issues

Editorial

Spotlight

Insight

Sports

Business

Review

Arts

Letters

Nutshell

Interviews

Fashion

Archives

Great heights of dwarfed Pope

By Lakshman de Silva Alexander Pope, essayist, critic, satirist and one of the greatest poets, was born in London. His father was also Alexander Pope, a tradesman who made a comfortable fortune. His mother was Edith (Turner) Pope. She belonged to a Yorkshire family. The family were Roman Catholics and Pope remained in that faith through life. He was always weak and sick in body, bald and deformed, and almost a dwarf being 4 ft. 6 inches in height. He was an affectionate son and a faithful friend. At this time Catholics suffered from repressive legislation and prejudices. They were not allowed to enter universities or hold public employment. Thus Pope was mostly educated at home. Through his aunt he learnt to read. Latin and Greek he learnt from a priest and later he acquired knowledge of French and Italian poetry.

In 1700 when his family moved to Bonfield in Windsor Forest, Pope contracted tuberculosis. He also suffered from asthma and headaches.

Pope wrote his first verses at the age of 12. His breakthrough work An Essay On Criticism appeared when he was 23. It included the famous line 'A little learning is a dangerous thing.' The Rape Of The Lock (1714) an elegant satire was based on a quarrel between two families with whom Pope was acquainted. It was caused by Lord Petre cutting off a lock of Miss Arabella Fermor's hair.

His great achievements were the translations of Illiad and Odyssey into English. Among Pope's other works are Essay On Man and Moral Essays.

In didactic poetry the Essay On Man is addressed to Bolingbroke and Pope clearly implies he was its inspirer.

'Come then, my friend, my genius, come along;

Oh master of the poet, and the song!

Shall then this verse to future age pretend

Thou wert my guide, philosopher and friend?

That urg'd by thee, I turn'd the tuneful art

from sounds to things, from fancy to the heart.'

Popes didactic manner of writing is clearly seen in the second Epistle Of Man. He is the most frequently quoted English poet after Shakespeare.

During his last years Pope designed a romantic 'grot' in a tunnel which linked the waterfront with his back garden. It was walled with shells and pieces of mirror. Alexander Pope died on May 30, 1744. He left his property to Martha Blount, with whom he had formed a lifelong relationship.

Lauch of a new book - a crucial choice...

The Road From Elephant Pass, a novel revolving around bitter enemies and of human weaknesses, will be launched at 4  pm on Tuesday, September 30, at the Mahaweli Centre. The author, Nihal de Silva, captures the ordeal and the brutality of war in this gripping and thrilling book, published by Vijitha Yapa Publications. The author describes the emotions, threats, and later mixed feelings mirrored between an army officer and a LTTE woman cadre, thrown together by fate. When Captain Wasantha, the protagonist, reaches Colombo, he is confronted with a shocking revelation. He is compelled to choose between his friend and his own country. Nihal de Silva is a product of St. Joseph's College and University of Ceylon. A passionate Rotarian and an amateur  naturalist, his special interest in avifauna is reflected in his writing.

De Silva lives in Colombo with his wife Shirlene and their two sons. He is currently working  on his second book.

Salute to the legends -  sung

Salute To The Legends which was to be held on Sep-tember 13, will now be held on October 5 at 7 p.m. at BMICH

Salute To The Legends which is a concept of D.R. Entertainments, will pay tribute to legendary performers from the theatre of music song, and cinema.

The four artistes who will be remembered are Sunil Santha, Rukmani Devi, Eddie Jayamanne, and Wally Bastian.

Visharadha Sunil Santha entered the music scene six decades ago and achieved a significant milestone in Sri Lanka's musical history. Sunil Santha's unmistakable hits such as Olu Pipeela, Handa Pane, Suwanda Rosa Mal Nela, Mihikatha Nalawala, Kokilayange and Lanka, Lanka will glisten fresh when Ivor Dennis pays tribute to him.

Wally Bastian, identified as the God Father of Baila was responsible for bringing Kaffringna to the fore. Also titled Baila Visharadha, Wally Bastian besides singing, played the violin, Spanish guitar and the banjo. Sunil Perera of the Gypsies will step mike - side to pay tribute to the legendary singer Wally Bastian, singing evergreen hits such as Nurse Nona, Mathakai Amme, Vadhakaha Sudiya, Yamang Bando, Irene Josephine and Babi Achchi

The songs and acts on the silver screen of Eddie Jayamanne will be re- lived when Ronnie Lietch steps on stage to pay his personal tribute to the veteran film star and singer. Ronnie will sing songs such as Sirini Apey Lankawe, Payana Sandawatakara, Lapati Rupe Age, Thakkita Thaikita and Kolampura Sriya.

The memory of the queen of the silver screen and nightingale of song Rukmani Devi, will be fascinatingly rekindled when Corrine gets on stage to pay nostalgic tribute to the legendary lady. The unforgettable hits such as Gala Kandeni Mathuwela, Nilambare, Mawilapenuni Rupe, Mage Pemwatta Rasawatha and Ulu Male will be some of the songs to be sung by Corrine.

It will indeed be a scintilating experience to watch Ronnie, and Corrine performing in salutation to Eddie and Rukmani. Rajiv and Felix too will join hands with Corrine in duets.

The music will be provided by Rajiv and The Clan, Supported by a six piece orchestra, there will also be dance acts to add colour.

There is more to this unique musical event presented by HCIMA ( Hotel Catering International Management Association) in collaboration with DR Entertainments. The emcee for the evening will be Vijaya Corea.

Following the announcements made recently and prior to the postponement, most of the reserve tickets have already been bought. The tickets already purchased for the 13th are valid for the show on October 5.

Chicago alive and kicking!

Richard Gere tap-dances, Catherine Zeta-Jones struts, and Renee Zellweger sings - and miraculously it all works. Even the normally sedate John C. Reilly shows off his set of pipes in this lavish extravaganza. Chicago is a rousing, sultry, scintillating spectacle that mixes adultery and murder with comedy, drama and dance.

It's 1929 and all the world's a stage - at least that's how it feels to vaudeville star, Velma Kelley (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Velma and her sister are partners in a song and dance act managed by Velma's husband. When Velma finds her two-timing husband in the arms of her sister, the act comes to an abrupt end with the two lovers shot to death and Velma behind bars for their murders. Meanwhile wannabe singer/dancer Roxie Hart cheats on her simple husband, Amos (John C. Reilly) with a man she believes can make her famous. Once she discovers the man is just a furniture salesman with zero connections to showbiz, Roxie pulls a gun on him and winds up in jail alongside her idol, Velma.

In jail, the star and the starlet fight for freedom and headlines, and vie for the attention of legal eagle Billy Flynn (Richard Gere). Flynn's never lost a case and more importantly, he has the Chicago media feeding from the palm of his hand. This stylishly sexy movie is based on the award-winning play Chicago,adapted by Bob Fosse, John Kander and Fred Ebb from the original play by Maurine Watkins. Unlike the stage play, most of the movie's song and dance numbers spring from the imagination of Renee Zellweger's character, Roxie Hart.

Zellweger is perfect as the sweet, innocent-looking blonde with a fiery imagination and a lust for the stage. She belts out songs and dances with a grace of a lifelong Broadway performer. Catherine Zeta-Jones' experience in musicals onstage serves her well in her role as Velma Kelley. A fan of the old Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie musicals, Zeta-Jones' smoldering sensuality heats up the screen.

Her solo dance numbers are mesmerising and she pumps the energy level of the film to a fevered pitch. Richard Gere is perhaps the most surprisingly delightful member of the cast. His performance as Billy Flynn could very well be one of his best in dozens of years. He displays a sly sense of humour, delivering lines that provoke genuine belly-laughs from the audience.

Gourmet music? See for yourself!

At The Lionel Wendt Theater

The Merry An Singers

Journey Through Time In Song

October 3rd and 4th 7.30 PM and

October 5th 11 AM

Music like food is a matter of taste. Inasmuch as one would not want to subsist on gourmet food, a diet of fast food would kill one's taste buds. The Merry An Singers vocal presentations over the last 22 years have proved that audience auditory senses also need variety. Their concert in the first week of October will be made up of two parts. In the first half the lighter extracts of music from the great classical composers will set off the modern arrangements of spirituals and gospel in the second. The concert will feature new young singers with tremendous potential for becoming performers who will hit center stage in this country.

Extracts from Carmen, Il Travatore, The Magic Flute, and Don Juan will provide singers with a different dimension in singing to Answer Me, Clap Hands, The Wind Beneath My Wings. There is a special treat for audiences in the arrangements of two numbers by Director Mary Anne David and one by accompanist Neranjan de Silva. There will also be arrangements by one of today's most sought after and famous arrangers of music - John Rutter. The programme will have a section where the audience will be invited to sing with the choir of 44 adults and 25 children.

The Sunday show is a matinee for those who find late evenings inconvenient.