Meeting No 27 Saturday, January 25th, 2020

At Ruwan and Lalani De Soysa residence

There were 34 attendees

"A TRIBUTE TO PROF CARLO FONSEKA" (Drawing by Dr Harsha Jayamanne)

The theme of the meeting was to pay a tribute to the late Prof Carlo Fonseka (1933-2019).

After the usual introductory welcome by Mahendra, when he briefly summarised some aspects of Carlo Fonseka's illustrious life, thus.

He was Lecturer in Physiology at the Faculty of Medicine in Colombo, and became Professor and Head of Department in1982. Later became Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya. Being a political activist, Professor Fonseka was a prominent member of the Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and was a member of the party’s central committee and politburo. He was also a lyricist and composer and has produced anumber of albums including Carlochita Gee (1992) and Raththaran Duwe (2006). He was an accomplished teacher and mentor. He enjoyed controversy and had an enquiring mind and was always keen on questioning and challenging accepted dogma. Although he was born a Catholic, he was later attracted to the Buddhist philosophy and acquired a MPhil degree in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Kelaniya. He was an atheist and a member of the Rationalist Associationof Sri Lanka, of which he was President taking over from itsfounder Abraham Kovoor.

He became most famous for his scientific elucidation and personal demonstration of how fire-walking is done by Buddhist and Hindu devotees who walk across embers without burning themselves. Before walking, he consumed alcohol and ate pork, both of which were considered to diminish the spiritual power necessary to prevent being burnt. He will be long remembered for his honesty and humanity.

Two of his former pupils, Dr Manouri Senaratne and Dr Rasieka Jayatunga addressed the meeting with very personal experiences which gave a more intimate glimpse of the great man. These were illustrated with photo and video clips.

This was followed by a very moving presentation by Dr Udara Kularatne, a close friend of the Fonseka family. Carlo was Udara's hero and mentor. Here are a few quotes from Udara's eulogy.

"His was a superior intellect adorned with diligently acquired jewels of literature, whose sparkle shone through his wit and eloquence.

His insatiable curiosity not merely sharpened his faculties but also elevated his humanism. His kindness to ordinary people knew no bounds. Presidents and paupers sought his advice and help. Each one who approached him knew that he would be genuine, wouldn’t expect a reward and would use his copious reserves of knowledge and human connections to help. I am eternally indebted for the life lessons he gave in humility, kindness, love and curiosity.

The French poet Anatole France, attempting to summarise the history of man on earth, came up with a seven-word phrase: “He was born, he suffered, he died.” To summarise the life of Prof Carlo Fonseka, I paraphrase it thus: “He was born, he illuminated, he died.”

Dr Ruwan De Soysa took over with a presentation focusing on the links between Rationalist Dr Abraham Kovoor and Prof Fonseka. He went into great detail on Prof Fonseka's famous debunking of ritual fire-walking using material recorded on YouTube videos.

A buffet meal break with contributions by all attendees followed.

After the break, Ruwan presented some Carlo Fonseka songs and also some songs with the theme of "mother" at the request of Lalani, in memory of her recently departed mother.

Then Ruwan conducted a Q & A session with Udara on his connections with Carlo and also Udara's personal achievements which were considerable and greatly influenced by his deep affection for Carlo as a teacher, a friend, a mentor and indeed a personal hero.

Then a short session of singing with Lalith Wijedoru on the piano where the audience joined in with gusto.

The traditional sing-song did not take place and the meeting ended at 12.00 midnight.

INTERNET BROWSER LINKS TO PHOTOS AND PRESENTATIONS

Link to photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/e2fc76Gdd7JTeyek9

Link to Udara's talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CtbZIa9tGI&feature=youtu.be

Link to Rasieka and Mahendra presentations and Udara text of speech

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VqiAyWm6tI139ilIoqr3-6-rezUttuK6

Meeting No 26 Saturday, June 29th, 2019 - Special 10th Anniversary event in Sale, Manchester.

There were 50 attendees at our Special 10th Annivesary meeting.

The Chief Guest was Internationally renowned Astrobiologist., Prof Chandra Wickremasinghe, BSc (Ceylon), MA, PhD, ScD (Cantab), Hon DSc (Sri Lanka, Ruhuna), Hon DLitt (Tokyo, Soka), FIMA, FRAS, FRSA.

Prof Wickremasinghe has championed Panspermia Theory since his early days as a Commonwealth Scholar Student at Cambridge University where he studied Astrophysics mentored by Sir Fred Hoyle.

Jointly with the late Sir Fred Hoyle he was awarded the International Dag Hammarskjold Gold Medal for Science in 1986.

Today, he is recognized as the father of modern-day astrobiology, a newly emerging science which builds upon a substantial knowledge-base from the quite separate disciplines of mathematics, physics, biology and paleontology.

His fascinating presentation was enthusiastically received and appreciated. He is absolutely convinced that life did not emerge on Earth, but was a product of, and emerged with, the Big Bang (BB) and its subsequent evolution. Since the BB, life has been transported through space by comets and cometary dust from planet to planet to incubate and evolve. Microbes have also been seeding these same planets and causing DNA modifications creating new genomes. This is ongoing today; we are not a product of the primodial soup nor neo-Darwinism. Our entire galaxy may be a giant maternity ward interchanging life forms via microbes.

‘The presentation on Sinhala music: 1940s to 60s. Evolution and Revolution’ by Dr Suraj Ranasinghe was comprehensive and filled with song clips which enhanced it. His genuine enthusiasm and interest came through very strongly.

The programme for the day

5.00 pm to 5.30 pm - Assemble for tea and cakes

5.30 – 5.50 pm - Introduction and welcome and brief history of the SLLS by Mahendra

6.00: 7.15 pm. ‘Sinhala music: 1940s to 60s. Evolution and Revolution’ Dr Suraj Ranasinghe

7.15: 7.30 pm Short Comfort break.

7.30: 8.45 pm. Main Presentation by Chief Guest Prof Chandra Wickremasinghe ‘Our cosmic ancestry in the stars: the second Copernican Revolution’

8.45: 9.45 pm. Buffet meal break

10.00: 12 midnight. * Traditional sing-song.

* Book signing by Prof. CW. Copies of his latest book ‘Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars: The Panspermia Revolution and the Origins of Humanity’ was available for purchase

Meeting No 25 Saturday, October 20th, 2018. in Manchester

At Samitha and Akalanka's residence in Bowden, Manchester.

'The universe, as well as life, is not a random occurrence' by Dr Uditha Jayatunga

followed by the religious viewpoint of the Four main religions on Life and the Universe.

Christian: Dr Kumar Abayasekera

Hindu: Prof: Mahesh Nirmalan

Buddhist: Dr Wilson Ranawickrema

Islam: Dr Imran Verdak.

The moderator was Dr Mahendra Gonsalkorale who introduced the topic before the opening address by Uditha.

There was general agreement that the topic was of great interest and would have been even better if there was more time for discussion. But the objective was to promote greater understanding and appreciation of different viewpoints on the nature of the Universe and of our existence. All the speakers are to be congratulated in keeping to the time allocated while performing the difficult task of presenting the essence of their respective religions.

The usual Sri Lankan meal and “sing song” followed. All made contributions to the menu and refreshments as is usual at our meetings.

A special thanks to our hosts, Akalanka and Samitha for taking so much trouble to prepare the venue and make everybody comfortable.

Uditha's theme can be summarised by his opening statement.

"I am arguing that looking at the complexities in the universe, solar system, earth, life and human/ animal adaptations, brain function, cells and DNA it is not possible to say that that finite tuning of everything around us is a 'random' process. I am arguing this case based on scientific, biological facts as well as mathematical calculations".

Uditha elaborated with an array of facts and figures the well known arguments for a finely tuned universe in which the Carbon based life form human emerged. This is the w 'anthropic principle' (It is well known that our existence in this universe depends on numerous cosmological constants and parameters whose numerical values must fall within a very narrow range of values. If even a single variable were off, even slightly, we would not exist. The extreme improbability that so many variables would align so auspiciously in our favour merely by chance has led some scientists and philosophers to propose instead that it was God who providentially engineered the universe to suit our specific needs. This is the Anthropic Principle: that the universe appears to have been fine-tuned for our existence. )which has been around for at least three decades and also was popularised when the late Stephen Hawking published 'A Brief History of Time'.

Uditha argued the case for a Purpose Built Universe by a Creator rather than a random occurrence. In his view, the purpose in creating man was to allow appreciation of the marvel of creation. "Intelligence mean, can appreciate the marvel of creation. What is the point of you being the best cook in the world……….. and after making the meal- if there is no one not only to taste but also to appreciate it!"

Christian: Dr Kumar Abayasekera. The Universe was created by God. "Christ's proclamation is unique - unlike all other 'religious systems' in Christ Salvation is a free gift that transforms us to lead a good life where as all other systems want us to lead a good life to be transformed."Science only answers questions of reality that pertain to 'How' (mechanisms) or 'What' (structure) type questions as by definition it is an empirical enterprise. We cannot be certain about 'Why' (purpose) questions. Hence the conclusion that a 'Creator is probably behind the Universe' or that 'We are created to be in awe of the Creation' are at best our conjecture. I thought the multiple levels of reality by illustrating from a tenner dealt with that issue. Only if the Creator has explicitly informed us can we understand the purpose of the Universe and life. As I suggested from a variety of sources (Penzias, Parker, Le Maitre, McKay, Clerk-Maxwell, Conway Morris etc) the belief is that God as described in the Bible is unique. God has revealed specifically in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's specific will for us. An invitation to respect each other as inter-dependent co-workers to build 'heaven' on this beautiful earth where God's self giving love and justice will prevail from this one life of each of us to eternity when we too will be resurrected like Jesus Christ".

Hindu: Prof: Mahesh Nirmalan. The oldest religion in the World with no single doctrine. Hindu beliefs include the four Puruṣārthas, the proper goals or aims of human life, namely Dharma (ethics/duties), Artha (prosperity/work), Kama (desires/passions) and Moksha (liberation/freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth/salvation) . The concept of a Supreme soul or Paramataman and individual souls or Atman. And the concepts of karma (action, intent and consequences), Saṃsāra (cycle of death and rebirth), and the various Yogas (paths or practices to attain moksha). The goal of most Hindus is moksha, liberation from this perpetual cycle, through re-identification with the eternal brahman (Supreme)

Buddhist: Dr Wilson Ranawickrema. The Buddha referred to many planes of existence and many type of beings. A vast Universe which is cyclical with the arrival of a Buddha to show the way, “The path”, in each cycle. The next Buddha will be Maithriya Buddha.

He spoke of several basic concepts.

The concept of dependent origination.(Pratītyasamutpāda). or The law of causality. Putting it simply, "Everything is interconnected. Everything affects everything else. Everything that is, is because other things are. What is happening now is part of what happened before, and is part of what will happen next"

The concept of karma. Karma or kamma is action and refers to the law of moral causation. The present moment being shaped both by past and by present actions; present actions shape not only the future but also the present. Karma is dynamic and by influencing current action, the future can be shaped and does not necessarily follow a path determined by past actions.

No permanent self but cycle of births and deaths. The goal of ending this cycle by attaining the state of Nirvana through enlightenment. Every human being has this capacity..

No Creator God who sits on judgement.

Emphasis on “Mental” as opposed to “Material” values.

The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path forms the basis of the pathway.

Islam: Dr Imran Verdak. Islam is the World’s Second-largest religion. Over 1.8 billion followers . 24.1% of the world's population. Across 50 countries.

Religion teaching that there is only ONE God. All 124,000 Prophets preached the same message from Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. A Muslim is one who submits to the will of one God. And Muhammad is the MESSENGER of GOD.

The 5 pillars of Islam are Hajj, Zakah, Shahadah, Salah, Sawm, (Salah – Prayer. Zakat – Charity. Sawm – Fasting. Hajj – Pilgrimage

Qur’an – GODs Word. Hadith – teachings of the Prophet.

On Racism, Equality & Consent: All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor does a black have any superiority over a white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Mahendra's own view was one of caution. There is no absolute proof of a "Truth" as such and whatever religion or philosophy one chooses is based on the appeal it has to the person after examining "the evidence" available. A personal conviction on the validity of the Truth as perceived by the believer, can be beneficial but also has the real risk of causing harm to others when believers interpret holy texts, as we saw in the time of the crusades and more recently with jihads and suicide bombings. A more liberal view that what matters is the pursuance of a life with consideration for others and filled with what are generally regarded as "good" or moral actions will always have a good outcome, irrespective of the Faith or Belief of the person. Another way of putting it, is that there may be different paths to the peak of "salvation", if indeed there is such an outcome!

Meeting No 24 Saturday 19th of May 2018

“Integrating Creativity, Healing and Art” and "Art and Music therapy"

Presenters. Shanali Perera and Mahendra Gonsalkorale

Took place at Supul and Dayamalie's residence in Sale, Manchester.

The theme was “Integrating Creativity, Healing and Art”. Presentations were made by Dr Shanali Perera. (It was a personal narrative on Art, Healing & Chronic illnesses), and by Mahendra Gonsalkorale on " Music Mankind and Medicine" This was followed by a discussion on Art and Music therapy.

Shanali made a very personal presentation and shared her reflections on Art, healing & Chronic illnesses and how digital applications for artwork helped her to cope with pain, illness experience. Her talk enlarged on the following aspects.

(a) Arts n’ the human experience

Exploring the relationship between art, healing and long-term illness: a personal account

(b) Making the “Invisible Visible”

Role of art in healthcare

Art can inspire, influence and enable change

(c) Art inspiring medical education.

Some highlights from her presentation which included many examples of vibrant and colourful digital art of her own.

Art is boundless and unconditional

Art transcends time, space, pain & illness

Our imagination is limitless

Enables us to create as well as appreciate meaning, beauty & abstraction of the arts

Art can be a tool for adaptive coping.

Visual expression helps others understand emotions & empathize

Demonstrate the underestimated or misunderstood burdens associated with disabilities, long-term illness & health challenges.

She describes very eloquently how her chronic illness led to deep questioning such as,"What defines me? (Is it what I do, What I stand for, What I believe in, What am influenced by ?). How do you see me?" In her own words, "My escape route with this battle was finding myself through the creative process. The artistic experience allowed me to express and symbolize feelings about the illness, as a whole person involvement. Creating something tangible generates a sense of purpose and It gave me more control, flexibility with my time/efforts & helped to regain self-worth. It helped me to focus on what I can do rather than what I can't. I challenge illness dominance by using digital art.”. However, focusing on Art has problems. "People with certain disorders not only have to deal with the general disability of the chronic illness but also the physical limitation of expressing the “art” that is in their mind. For example, in my case on repeated use, my hands become numb, dead & painful Digital art enabled me to use light touch with minimal effort & alternate hands. with less pain/ fatigue in my hands & arms compared to using a paintbrush on canvas or charcoal on paper. Digital art gave me a new found freedom to explore myself through the world of colours and gave rise to my present work and help me focus on integrating Digital art with healing & self-management".

Shanali has been using an application on her mobile (android) phone called Sketch. This is available to download for free from Google play.

Touching on the role of Arts in general, key messages were,

Can help meet major challenges facing health and social care: ageing, long-term conditions, loneliness and mental health.

Can help save money in the health service and social care. She referred to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW) was formed in 2014 and aims to improve awareness of the benefits that the arts can bring to health and wellbeing. During 2015–17, the APPGAHW conducted an Inquiry into practice and research in the arts in health and social care, with a view to making recommendations to improve policy and practice. [http://www.artshealthandwellbeing.org.uk/appg-inquiry/]. She illustrated many other aspects of Art in relation to coping woth chronic illness using colourful digital creations of her own.

She ended with this statement. "It certainly is empowering to have self-directed creations when most aspects of an illness attempt to disempower you…."

Mahendra's presentation was summed up in his first visual.

• Music has deep evolutionary roots

• Music has profound effects on our behaviour and emotions

• Music evokes changes in almost every part of the brain.

• These properties have been directed towards healing/therapy

• Many conditions affecting children and adults have responded well to the structured use of music as a therapeutic tool

• It is possible that the beneficial effects may produce lasting changes in brain architecture but firm proof is as yet lacking.

• However, the use of music as a therapeutic tool is well established and survey after survey has shown that the clients appreciate it and derive demonstrable benefits.

Themes

Music is the creative organisation of sound... He played YouTube clips from various parts of the World with a range of cultures but the sounds were easily recognisable as music.

Music elicits emotions and feelings

Music can send shivers down our spine

Music can make us tingle all over

Music can bring tears to our eyes

Music can make us laugh

Music can make us sad

Music can make us happy

Music can motivate us.

He referred to The Mbenzele pygmies who provide compelling evidence that music is part of human nature . They live deep in the Congo rainforests are one of the most musical people on earth. They are hunter-gatherers and rarely leave the forest and don’t have radios or TVs and outside contact is minimal. But they have the most sophisticated musical compositions using voice, claps and drums. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMa7QsgYLSQ

He pointed out that many evolutionary psychologists today make the argument that music predated language. Primitive tribes and religious practices have used music to reach enlightened states for thousands of years

Charles Darwin described music as among our “most mysterious” faculties and suggested it began as a “musical proto-language”- a kind of vocal mating display akin to birdsong – that eventually diverged into two separate traits: music and speech.

The oldest musical instruments are the remains of bone flutes found in European caves also containing paintings. They date from between 42,000 and 15,000 years ago. One of the oldest. The Divje Babe flute was found in what is present-day Slovinia among the remains of Neanderthals. This may mean that our common ancestor used it, pushing back music to at least half a million years ago.

Music and Healing: The notion of using music in pursuit of health, healing and well-being is far from a modern concept. Ritual and Healing music were present in many ancient cultures. Even thousands of years ago, philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates understood the tremendous influence music has on its listeners. Over 2300 years ago, Aristotle spoke about music and its ability to communicate the emotional states of humans. Aristotle and Plato were among the first to write on the healing influence of music. The earliest references to music as therapy occurred in the late 1700s and early 1800s, and the field formally began after World War I, when professional and amateur musicians played for veterans who had suffered physical and emotional trauma as a result of the war.(To relieve pain perception).

He went on to speak about music therapy. Juliette Alvin. (An accomplished cellist), founded the British Society for Music Therapy in 1959 . Alvin defined MT as "The controlled use of music in the treatment, rehabilitation, education and training of adults and children suffering from physical, mental or emotional disorders. (Alvin 1975)".

Music therapy interventions can be designed to:

Promote Wellness, Manage Stress, Alleviate Pain, Express Feelings, Enhance Memory, Improve Communication and

Promote Physical Rehabilitation.

Types of MT.

Active. the therapist and patient actively participate in creating music with instruments, their voice, or other objects. This allows for the patient to be creative and expressive through the art of music.

Receptive. takes place in a more relaxed setting where the therapist plays or makes music to the patient who is free to draw, listen or meditate. Usually the therapist determines the method unless specifically requested by the patient.

Other classifications: Western Music Therapy, Traditional music and healing, Cultural practices, “Ritual healing”.

Individual, Group, Domiciliary, In Institutions Tailored, associated with singing and dancing.

Patient groups:

He touched on the beneficial evidence-based interventions in Seniors and in Parkinson's disease. Music therapy is a useful cost beneficial adjunct to management with high indices of consumer satisfaction. He gave a synopsis of some recent studies supporting use of MT in PD.

Throughout the presentation, audio clips and video clips were used to make the presentation more interesting.

The presentations were followed by a Q&A session. A buffet meal and sing-song followed as usual..

Mahendra thanked Supul and Dayamalie for hosting and all who attended and those who sent apologies. At least one more meeting, and possibly two, are planned for this year. Details will be revealed soon!

Meeting No 23 Saturday 21st of April 2018

"Individual Paranormal experiences revealed, followed by an Expert overview by Paranormal expert, Owen Elias"

Took place at Niro and Mahesh Nirmalan's residence in Eccles and was attended by a full house of 43 people.

Mahendra introduced the day by thanking Niro and Mahesh for hosting and the audience for their presence and support for the SLLS. He.announced that 2019 would be the 10th Anniversary of the SLLS.and suggested that he and Ruwan felt hat this calls for a special celebratory event and the production of a Printed Souvenir. The audience gave enthusiastic support for this.

He introduced the main presenter Owen Elias.who holds basic and advanced level qualifications in Paranormal Investigation. He has published in the international magazine "The Paranormal", as well as contributed information to other paranormal publications and websites.

Over the years he has investigated various hauntings and has a wealth of personal experiences. He laid the foundation for a series of fascinating experiences, both personal and recorded. He introduced himself and proceeded to define Paranormal using the Oxford dictionary definition "of or relating to the claimed occurrence of an event or perception without scientific explanation, as psychokinesis, extrasensory perception, or other purportedly supernaturalphenomena". Traditional scientists exhibit a great deal of scepticism but paranormal experts like himself point out that the inability to explain phenomena which have been thoroughly screened for fraudulent practices, through known scientific means, should not be a reason to dismiss them.He described clearly the rational and methodical approach used by Paranormal experts like himself. While such painstaking investigation of cases narrowed down the field by eliminating fraud, misperceptions, environmental causesand other plausible explanations for many experiences, there remained a core group which defied explanation through inquiry. Owen himself was convinced that what are described as ghosts do exist.

After a short comfort break, he captured the rapt attention of the audience with video scripts and descriptions of real personal experiences

Most of the clips were from TAPS, the home of The Atlantic Paranormal Society..TAPS was founded in 1990 by Jason Hawes with the sole purpose of helping those experiencing paranormal activity by investigating its claims in a professional and confidential manner and using the latest in paranormal research equipment and techniques. TAPS brings decades of experience in investigating with its pioneering equipment and techniques that have changed the field of paranormal investigating.

Several SLLS members spoke of their own personal paranormal experiences, including one experience of tumbler talk presented through a recorded telephone interview where the observer reported that the tumbler moved spelling out letters without anybody touching it. Another reported a hotel room that was locked, opening of its own accord at night and also feeling that "somebody." placed an arm on the shoulder with nobody visible. Another reported how her mother spoke in the voice of her father who had just died and furthermore, her mother writing in exactly the father's handwriting a message from the late husband. She had no recollection of doing this when she "came to herself" after a few hours. Owen commented on them although no clear explanation emerged for these phenomena.

Owen ended with a warning about the dangers of indulging in practices such as Ouija boards and other dubious "spiritual practices.

Mahendra thanked him for a wonderful and interesting presentation and showed our appreciation by presenting him with a gift from all the participants.

A varied and tasty buffet meal with contributions from participants followed and we ended the day well past 1.00am with the traditional sing-song with Niro on the Keyboard and Ruwan projecting the lyrics on the screen.

Meeting No:22. Saturday 17th of March 2018

"Kaffrinha, Baila and Manha- the African influence on Asian Music" Shihan De Silva

The weather was a spoiler but the majority of members turned up., Those who couldn't were intensely disappointed.

Dr Shihan De Silva Jayasuriya was the main presenter., She.is an expert on aspects of African movement to Asia and is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London. Also an elected Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society (Great Britain & Ireland. She is the author of many books on Africans in Asia, including “Tagus to Taprobane: Portuguese impact on the socio-culture of Sri Lanka" and “Portuguese in the East: A Cultural History of a Maritime Trading Empire”.When she carried out fieldwork for her doctorate amongst the Afro-Sri Lankan community in Sirambiyadiya (near Puttalam), Shihan became interested in their music, song and dance.

Shihan screened her ethnographic film which has already been shown in Austria, England, Germany, Japan, Scotland, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Switzerland. The film included her recordings of authentic Kaffrinha, Baila and Manha.

After the screening, Shihan led a discussion on this fascinating topic with many knowledgeable contributions from the audience. The film gave a voice to the Sirambiyadiya community who spoke about their inter-generationally transmitted musical traditions – Manhas, not to be confused with Kaffrinhas. The dividing line between Kaffrinhas and Bailas is fuzzy at times. Shihan played Kaffrinha and Baila music on the piano with her husband, Hemal, accompanying her on conga drums. Many members joined in singing familiar Sinhala songs in Sri Lanka Portuguese, the language that served as a bridging tongue between the Portuguese, Dutch, British and the Sri Lankans for about three hundred and fifty years. Given the nature of linguistic contact, not surprisingly, many Portuguese words have been adopted by Sinhala, Tamil and Malay.

Shihan had a clear message about Baila - (1) Baila is not an import from Portugal (2) Baila is a new genre of music composed in Sri Lanka, (3) Baila conveys a new postcolonial identity.

Her books, "Tagus to Taprobane" and "Portuguese in the East", were available for purchase at the event at discounted prices and eagerly bought by many.

There was active participation from the audience both with questions for the speaker and with singing songs which connected them to the homeland.

After the buffet dinner, the traditional sing-song followed led by Shihan and Hemal, with Niro Nirmalan on the keyboard and Shihan on the Piano. The participants enjoyed the musical performances and were also very pleased that 2 more events are already planned by the Society for 2018 with the possibility of a third..

Meeting No: 21. Saturday 2nd of December 2017. The title was "'Lyrics is the soul of the song"

This was held at Ruwan and Lalani De Soysa's residence in Chester.

The title was "'Lyrics is the soul of the song".The Panel of Experts, Vasantha De Silva, Susantha Udagedera and Ruwan De Soysa provided a well-researched glimpse of some popular Sinhalese songs discussing anecdotes about the origin and explaining the hidden meanings of the lyrics. Wherever possible, the audience joined in singing the song with the presenters.

Ruwan spoke on some interesting facts in the life of famous Canadian singer, songwriter and musician Leonard Cohen, and Mahendra gave a brief presentation of his own composition, "The horrors of war".

Our invited professional Tabla player Migara Sanjaya held us spellbound with his tabla artistry and his singing.

The songs discussed by Vasantha were as follows.

1. Adawan Desin by Victor Ratnayaka

2. Lenchina mage nangiye by Sunil Edirisinghe

3. Etha kandu yaye by Nanda Malini

4. Monawada amme akuru jathiyak by Pricilla Opatha and Kingsley Jayasekera

5. Senehasa ran sinhasana by Thaya M Edward

Susantha Udagedera discussed the following songs.

1. Bambareku awai by WD Amaradeva

2. Aadaraye ulpatha wu amma by Victor Ratnayaka

3. Aetha epita gammane naga ena by Sanath Nandasiri

4. Jeewithaye thani mansala by WD Amaradeva

5. Gahaka mal pipila by Karunaratna Divulgane

Chrishantha Weerasuriya discussed Serayatiyen api yanena thura by Vijaya Kumaranatunga

The event was well subscribed and went on until 1.45am!

Meeting No: 20. Saturday 7th October 2017.

From Small Beginnings to Great Heights- Professor Punchi Bandara Sannasgala and his contribution to Sinhala Literature. Manouri Senaratne

The North West Sri Lankan Literary Society held it’s 20^th event, and its first in Yorkshire, at the residence of Manouri & Jayantha Senaratne on Saturday 7^th October 2017.

Attendees travelled from as far as Southampton, Essex and Carlisle, as well as the more regular attendees from the North West, to hear Manouri deliver a presentation on Professor Punchi Bandara Sannasgala, her father and an eminent scholar in Sinhala Literature. We heard about Prof Sannasgala’s birth (in Uva Province, Sri Lanka), his childhood & education, and how his interest in Oriental Studies was born. We discussed his impressive literary output from 1947, including the Sinhala Sahitya Wansaya, which still remains the only book that is written on the entire history of Sinhala Literature. This is a significant book, a recommended text for scholars and has been reprinted several times, the last in 2013, 16 years after his death.

Later in his professional career, he moved to Lexicography and travelled to Netherlands, Germany, UK & USA to learn this subject.

Perhaps one of Prof Sannasgala’s most significant achievements relate to his management of the Sinhala Dictionary Project. When asked to take over as Editor-in-Chief, the project had barely started, taking 48 years to complete the first letter of the alphabet. Under his editorship, the entire dictionary was completed in only 17 years.

The talk was very well received by the audience of 40-45 attendees. There was a great deal of curiosity to learn about the more personal side of him.

Manouri described his disciplined daily routine (rising at the crack of dawn), his work ethic and his very effective use time. If there were shortcomings, Manouri muses, it was his impatience and he missing out on his daughters’ childhoods. But, Manouri firmly believes that if he was any different he would never have risen to the heights he rose and contributed so much to Sri Lankan literature. His books remain his lasting gifts to the nation.

The presentation was followed by a delicious buffet meal provided by the host with contributions from all, as is customary, and then by the musical event coordinated by Mahendra, Ruwan and Niro. Ruwan started the ball rolling with an intriguing presentation on the origins of the popular Sinhalese baila tune, “hai, hoi babi achchige bicycle eka” which strangely enough, had very little to do with bicycles. He traced its origins all the way to America and the Repasz Band based in Pennsylvania. “Repasz Band March” is the popular signature march that has been a part of the Band’s life since its original band edition was copyrighted in 1901 by Charles C. Sweeley and Harry J. Lincoln, a composer known for his many marches.

Click on this link and you will be astounded by the similarity!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=19&v=FPG-ArWTNL4

He revealed that when he was in the USA recently, he went to Pennsylvania and met the Band at a performance and presented them with a plaque engraved with the Sri Lankan Literary Society name with it’s emblem. They were surprised to receive it and felt honoured.

Ruwan’s presentation was followed by the “sing-song” led by Niroshini on the Yamaha keyboard, supported by Ruwan and Mahendra

A special feature of the singing was the contribution from the children, who were eager and happy to join in with very little encouragement from their parents. A special mention must be made of the duo, 11-year-old Adithiya and 6-year-old Thesali whose musical talents surprised us all.Manouri’s living room was ideal for this small gathering and all the guests departed with happy memories, and some were fortunate enough to be offered B&B! . The audience who were new to the literary society events applauds the organisers’ for their creative abilities and described the event as an unforgettable evening.

The organisers wish to thank Manouti and Jayantha for making this possible.

Meeting No 19: Saturday 29th October 2016 at Ruwan and Lalani's

The main presentation was "The Sydney Kolam Maduwa- an experience in amateur drama production in Sydney, Australia" by Daya Gonsalkorale

This was arranged as the Main Speaker, Daya Gonsalkorale, who is a retired Chartered Structural Engineer based in Sydney,and elder brother of Mahendra, was visiting the UK on a short holiday with his wife Wijitha. Daya is an accomplished amateur actor.. Ruwan and Mahendra came up with the idea of asking Daya to speak at one of our meetings. Daya has performed in many Drama Productions in Sydney. He is a Member of the Sydney Kolam Maduwa (Sydney Comedy Shack). The SKM has produced many Plays and the most recent one is the comedy “The Lost Culavamsa or the Unimportance of being earnest” which is a derivation from Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of being Earnest”. Previous productions included “Bakkos Down Under”,” The UN Inspector” and “He still comes from Jaffna”. Many of the productions have a Sri Lankan flavour and utilises our ability to laugh at ourselves.

Daya spoke about the History of the SKM and how a group of interested people got together to produce something worthwhile and something they all enjoy doing. His power point presentation covered the following aspects. (1) A brief history of the English Sri Lankan theatre in Sydney (2) About Ernest MacIntyre, who was a central figure (3) Past productions with Kolam Maduwa Actors but not as SKM productions. (4) The birth of the Sydney Kolam Maduwa. (5) His association with the SKM. (6) More about the SKM and its philosophy. (7) A brief synopsis of the last two plays.

He was particularly keen to stress that he was not here as a representative of the SKM, but merely to give us some of his recollections of the birth of the SKM and what led to that birth. Referring to the historical aspect, it was interesting to note that at least as far back as 1981 – Somaratne Dissanayake & Ernest MacIntyre made a Sinhala/English presentation for the Carnivale of the NSW Governement under the umbrella of the Sri Lanka Association of NSW. Since then, over the subsequent years a group of friends in Sydney with a common interest in Drama, got together informally and produced several plays. "These apparently had been performed to audiences consisting mainly of families and friends, and friends of friends and is indeed the case to date", he stated. In 2002, a more ambitious production was envisaged. This was the “The Theatre of Migration” and involved a much larger group of actors. "Around the time this was being planned, the informal group was constituted as an incorporated body under the NSW Government. This became necessary due mainly to public liability and other insurance requirements. And so was born the Sydney Kolam Maduwa. We were fortunate to have the help of one of our group, Sunil De Silva, who was an Ex-Attorney General in Sri Lanka, in the drafting of the Constitution of the SKM. Indeed if memory serves me right, it was he who first raised the issue of the considerable liability carried by the Producers towards the Public and even towards the actors and other helpers".

Daya's involvement with the SKM -He was President from 2009 to 2014. His first performance was before the SKM was formed, when he appeared as a 'sleezy salesman'! "While Sydney Kolam Maduwa may be translated literally as the Sydney Comedy Shack, there were deeper and more significant connotations in that name; Ernest’s intention was to equate “Sydney” to the new i.e., new migrants to Australia with “Kolam” referring to the Roots but with a theatrical bent in keeping with what the SKM was all about. It is also important to note that although “Maduwa” has been translated as “Shack” in some documents, Sunil De Silva said some time ago that the word “Maduwa” replaced the originally thought of “Mandalaya” to give the SKM a more informal feel.The first production by the SKM, referred to earlier, staged in 2002, was “The Theatre of Migration”. This was well received by large audiences and acknowledged by Australian experts, who studied the video recording as a “classic of theatre in our turbulent times”. About the Philosophy of the SKM, he said, "In general, the SKM has attempted to address an issue/issues affecting or having relevance the Sri Lankan diaspora in Australia (and no doubt in England and other Countries too). It has tried to do so by a judicious mix of humour and gravitas (seriousness).By and large, I believe we have succeeded in giving the audience something to laugh about while at the same time, something to think about".

He showed some screen shots of several plays and went on to talk about the last two productions of the SKM, “The Lost Culavmasa”, an adaptation by Mac of a famous play, “The Importance of being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde, and “Bakkos Down Under” written by Sunil De Silva based on a play “ The Dowry Hunter”, staged at the prestigious Lionel Wendt many years ago and in which Sunil had taken part. "The underlying theme of this “The Lost Culavansa”, is that essentially, one is defined as Sinhalese of Tamil not necessarily by birth but by the environment in which a person is brought up. To illustrate this, Mac has adapted a famous Oscar Wilde play, in which one of two sons born to an aristocratic Sinhala family is lost due to some unfortunate circumstances and subsequently adopted by a wealthy Tamil couple and so becomes a Tamil. He then showed a few video clips from this which were fully appreciated by the audience. The audience was impressed by the calibre of acting and by the number of young people who took part. The other production was "Bakkos Down Under", with its theme the pretentiousness of some immigrants who had held important positions in their native countries but being forced to accept lesser positions in their adopted country.

There was a lively discussion at the end and Mahendra and Ruwan thanked Daya for sharing his experience with us. Who knows, this might be the beginning of a SLLS Drama sub-Group! The importance of a Driving Force coupled with keen members who enjoy performing and are willing to give up their spare time could not be over emphasised. He said it was hard work but the whole process, including the rehearsals and informal meetings were most rewarding and enjoyable. The final outcome of producing a well presented Play was the icing on the cake.

Ernest MacIntyre is a well known Sri Lankan Playwright now based in Sydney and was and still is, the driving force behind the SKM. During the 1960s, MacIntyre was hailed as the most prolific and successful of Sri Lankan playwrights in English. He was a member of the performing group 'Stage and Set', which presented established international plays as well as those written by him.

Second presentation by Lal Gunasekera. After a lovely dinner as usual made up from contributions by attendees, the second session was introduced by Ruwan. This was a total surprise and the Speaker was Mr Lal Gunasekera, retired Consultant Neurosurgeon who has worked as a Consultant in Sri Lanka as well as England. Lal and his wife Shanta came all the way from Haywards Heath, Sussex and Ruwan requested him to speak on a subject he had previously prepared for another event. His presentation was on "A BRIEF HISTORY OF NEUROSURGERY IN ANCIENT SRI LANKA, Until 1976". We were fascinated to learn that there was evidence that trephination (a hole is drilled, incised or scraped into the skull using simple surgical tools) was performed in 4th Century AD by King Buddhadasa, appropriately enough as stated in the Culawamsa! King Buddhadasa was believed to be responsible for the establishment of a hospital at Mihintale, but it is also attributed to King Sena II (851-885 AD). It is thought to be the oldest hospital in the world. The influence of the foreign colonial powers,Portuguese, Dutch, and and British who ruled Sri Lanka successively after 1505 retarded the growth of this ancient system of medicine. The earliest records of modern neurosurgical procedures.followed the inception of the Ceylon Medical Association and .the start of publication of the Ceylon Medical Journal in 1887. The first record relevant to neurosurgery was published in 1888: a case and autopsy report of a cervical fracture/dislocation by Rowland C. Aldons,.Sub-Assistant Colonial Surgeon who was stationed at Mara-.wila, The first report of a modern neurosurgical operation in Sri Lanka was in 1889, by E. E. Modder, Deputy Assistant Colonial Surgeon in Kegalla. He presented two cases of depressed fracture of the skull successfully elevated after trephination.

An organized neurosurgical service began after the arrival of Dr Shelton A. Cabraal in 1956 who trained in the United Kingdom by the illustrious clinicians Charles Symmonds, Lord Russel Brain, Geofrey Knight, Norman Dott, and Sir Geofrey Jefferson. In 1959, a modern five-story section was added to the General Hospital in Colombo, and the entire fourth floor was allocated to the neurosurgical unit. The present unit was thus born with a well-equipped operating theatre; two wards for male and female patients, respectively (with beds for children in the women's ward); a separate section for intensive postoperative care in each ward; sections for neuroradiology and.electroencephalography; and a separate section for physical.medicine.

As is now the established tradition, the meeting ended with a sing song led by Ruwan, Niro and Mahendra. Our Chief guest joined with enthusiasm although hampered by a sore throat. The occasion was as always most enjoyable. Mahendra thanked Daya and Wijitha for finding the time to attend, Ruwan and Lalani for hosting, Niro for carting her Yamaha keyboard all the way from Salford, Lal and Shanta for making the journey from Sussex and all those who attended and contributed to the Menu and the meeting. There are plans to have a meeting early next year but more later!

Meeting No 18: Saturday April 23rd at Nirmalan and Niro's.

Mahesh Nirmalan titled " Hamsatvani- An evening of Carnatic Music"

The day began with nibbles, drink and chat as they trickled in from near and far.

Mahendra made a short introductory speech and commended all the participants for their interest and support which has been the chief reason why the main organisers have been able to sustain this popular event over the last 7 years. The present one is the second this year and the 18th in total.

The Main Presentation was by Mahesh Nirmalan titled " Hamsatvani- An evening of Carnatic Music"

This was a difficult topic as carnatic music was unfamiliar to most of the audience. Carnatic music is also best appreciated by those who have been introduced to it as part of their culture and at a relatively young age. Nirmalan responded to the challenge and succeeded in capturing the attention and interest of the audience of 50 people. In this he was supported by his friend, Mr Gnani Pichchiappah who is an expert in carnatic music specialising in the flute.He is the son of Kala Suri .Pichchiappah and a descendant of Shri Dr Panchabikesan, the legendary Nadaswara Vidwan from Chavakachcher. Gnani was accompanied by two of his collagues, one was a violinist and the other a drummer.

Nirmalan's Power-Point presentation traced the history of Indian music and the common roots of Hindustani and Carnatic music. He covered the basics of carnatic music with liberal use of video clips and stressed on the spiritual aspects of carnatic music and the freedom of individual expression and interpretation it allowed. Gnani and his colleagues gave what can only be described as riveting performance demonstrating their undoubted skills.Questions and discussion went on well into injury time, a sure sign of audience interest. We are most grateful to Nirmalan for his well prepared presentation and for arranging the three musicians to come all the way from London. We are most grateful for Gnani and his two colleagues for coming to entertain and educate us.

After a short comfort break we went on to the second presentation of the day which was by Naomi Perera, daughter of one of our medical colleagues Roshan Perera, who came all the way from Leicester to make her presentation on "A Rather Hasty Comparison of Western Classical Music Vs Indian Classical Music". She is a talented musician and Vocalist/Guitarist/Fluterian. She explained the basics of music in general and compared western classical music with Indian classical music. She touched on fascinating glimpses into the world of musical chords and scales such as lydian, luterian,locrian and myxolydian! We were intrigued to learn that for some of them there were Indian equivalents thus reminding us of the universality of music. She made use of her flautist skills by playing short clips of music to 'illustrate' her talk. Her presentation was received with warm applause.

The dinner followed and as is now well established, contributions came from everybody with the menu coordinated through a shared google spreadsheet.The evening ended with the traditional "sing-song" led by Niro. Ruwan and Mahendra.

Compliments flowed to Nirmalan for his entertaining presentation, to Naomi for hers, and for Nirmalan and Niro for hosting the event at their house in Eccles,Manchester.

Below are two short clips from the day.