‘Thurstanite Brass 2018’ was held at the BMICH main hall on the 20 October. The evening was a complete success with beautiful episodes of melodious, well-rehearsed band performances by the Thurstan College Brass Band, and the bands of the invited schools. ‘Thurstanite’ is one of the biggest band shows among Colombo schools and has been in operation for over 20 years. Conducted once every two years, this show aims to showcase the talents of the senior brass bands. The event is organised by Thurstan College with the immense support of the Thurstan Old Boys Association (TOBA), and the parents of the school. The show this year included seven invitee schools; Nalanda College Brass Band, Sirimavo Bandaranaike College Brass Band, and Vishaka College Brass Band were some of the main invitees who displayed captivating performances. The highlights Besides the vibrant talents of the students, one of the key performances of the evening was an engaging performance by the Sri Lankan band ‘Glory’. The show was dedicated to pay respect and gratitude to their former band teacher Kumudini Dalpadadu. This was a very beautiful and emotional performance, and without a doubt, was the highlight of the evening. Showcase of undeniable talent The audience mostly comprised the parents of students in the performing bands, and was overjoyed at the incredible display of talent. Sudath De Silva (the father of the incoming band leader of Thurstan College): “This is the 10th event of the senior brass band of Thurstan. This is a very magical event we’ve looked forward to, with a lot of hope; we have been preparing for this year’s event for over a year.” Kalpana Dissanayake (Parent of band member in the Thurstan Band): “This is my second event. My son is in the band. They always have the best performances. The invited schools also do a very good job.” Nalani Priyangika (Parent of band member of the Thurstan Band): “This is my sixth event. My son has been in the band since primary school. It is always a delightful show, and every year it is better than the previous years. We are proud of our children, and we are glad for events like this to showcase their talents.” Two parents from the students of a leading girls’ school in Colombo said that the organisation of the event is wonderful and the performances were great. “The Thurstan Brass band is probably the best band in Colombo, they are amazing,” they said. [gallery link="file" size="full" ids="10008,10010,10009,10007,10006,10004,10005"] “We thank everyone who supported us” Thurstan Old Boys Association Media Secretary Lakshman Wickremasinghe spoke to us and said: “It was a very successful event and it was better than last year’s show”. He wanted to take his time to thank all parties involved to make this event a success. “I am grateful and thankful to our media sponsors Derana TV and The Sunday Morning, Noel Joseph who was involved in finding sponsors, the first band leader of the Thurstan Brass band Sadun Dalpadadu, the Principal, the event coordinator Sanjeewani Bandara, master in charge Harshana Karunarathne, and last but not least, the immense support and love from the parents.”   By Pujanee Galappaththi Photos Krishan Kariyawasam