by Tyron Devotta
On 17 December 2025, when the rains took a break in Colombo, St. Mary’s Church, Bambalapitiya, became a living archive. I Will Never Forget You, a recital marking sixty years of the choral legacy founded by Fr Claver Perera. It was a gathering of memory, affection, and unfinished conversations between past and present.
The evening was shaped as much by effort as by emotion. Behind the joy of the performance lay months of coordination, decisions, rehearsals, and the challenge of assembling voices scattered across decades and continents, the responsive audience suggested that whatever strain lay beneath, the outcome had resonated deeply.
A prayer and blessing from Fr Tony Martyn before the event
Reviving Memory, Assembling Voices
Geoffrey Alagaratnam, who has been associated with the St. Mary’s Choral Group (SMCG) for nearly fifty years and knew Father Claver from the earliest days of his work in Sri Lanka, described the evening as a deliberate act of recollection. “After much strain and bringing people together,” he said, “we revived old memories, highlighting the various phases of Father Claver’s legacy—his contribution to singing, choral music, and even opera in Sri Lanka.”
The programme itself unfolded like a carefully curated timeline. It began with Mountain Songs sung in Italian—music that was neither operatic nor showy, but simple, rustic, and emotionally grounded. “Though it was in a foreign language,” Alagaratnam explained, “we tried to evoke the moods presented by the different songs. For us, it also had an educational purpose—learning to appreciate the cultural songs of another community.”
That phase of Father Claver’s work, he noted, was significant in shaping the St. Mary’s choir into an award-winning ensemble, culminating in All-Island choral recognition in the late 1960s. From there, the programme moved to his transformative influence at St. Peter’s College, where he moulded young voices into national prize winners with works such as Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming. Some of those boys—once sopranos—now in the choir as adult tenors and basses, carrying within them the muscle memory of discipline learned decades earlier.
Tribute, Laughter, and Sacred Stillness
The recital also returned to Father Claver’s personal repertoire. His favourite solos— O Solo Mio and Santa Lucia—were performed in tribute, reminding the audience that he was not only a conductor and teacher, but a singer whose own voice had left a lasting impression. A special dedication by acclaimed soprano, Mary Anne David, who had long been associated with him in performances and religious singing, added a nostalgic dimension to the evening.
Neomal De Alwis
Lighter moments followed Jerome De Silva’s rendition of Funiculi Funicula backed by the full strength of the choir, revived warmth, laughter, and audience engagement, before the programme shifted again into solemn territory with Tu scendi dalle stelle, an Italian carol sung in dedication to the Christ Child. The finale—O Holy Night— sung by Stefan Corea carried particular resonance. Framed by recordings of Father Claver’s own voice at the opening and close of the recital, the piece became both tribute and continuation.
“For me,” Alagaratnam reflected, “that recorded voice at the end brought back nostalgic memories—but it also showed that his legacy exists in the soloists and singers of St. Mary’s today. They innovate, they evolve, but they still carry the discipline, the commitment, and the love for all forms of music that Father Claver instilled.”
The strain on the choir, however, did not end with the recital. December is the most demanding month in the liturgical calendar theory carol service and midnight mass. The carol as with a theme woven through skits, modern carols, and traditional congregational singing.”
That theme this year, he explained, centres on a poor boy who has only his drum to offer—a simple narrative interlaced with music, designed to engage both choir and congregation. For those who may have missed the memorial recital, the carol service would offer a second opportunity to hear the voices of St. Mary’s, including the senior singers shaped directly by Father Claver.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
What happens after such a gathering of memory? Alagaratnam was clear-eyed. The St. Mary’s Choral Group, he said, is not a static body drawn only from the parish. Its members come from diverse backgrounds, with families, jobs, and commitments elsewhere. They come together for major feasts—Easter, Christmas, and special occasions like this memorial—but continue to maintain standards through regular liturgical singing every Sunday. “The memorial,” he said, “was an attempt to break out of ordinary church music—to remind ourselves of our heritage, to enjoy different kinds of music, and to aim for greater professional standards.”
Gihan Seneviratne & Stefen Corera
For Stefan Corera, a stalwart of the St. Mary’s musical community and one of Father Claver’s former students, the invitation to participate was immediate and emotional. “It was a no-brainer,” he said. “Father Claver was my mentor. My foundation in choral and classical music began with him, when I was about nine or ten years old.”
Yet enthusiasm was tempered by realism. December, Corera knew, was already crowded with commitments. “I asked Geoffrey, are you sure December is the right time?” he recalled. The answer lay in opportunity: many former choristers now live overseas and return only during the Christmas season. The anchor choir, inevitably, would be SMCG.
As the planning progressed, the challenge became one of representation. How does one programme capture half a century of teaching, discipline, and influence? “We had to represent different eras and highlights of Father Claver’s journey,” Corera explained. Piece by piece, the programme took shape. He agreed to perform the familiar solos and to conduct two pieces—despite arriving only three days before the recital. The anxiety was real, particularly given Father Claver’s exacting standards.
Technology offered only limited help to Stefan and the others who were still abroad during practices. Zoom rehearsals could not refine choral balance or tone, but they allowed overseas participants to sense the rhythm of rehearsals and reconnect with the group. When Corera finally arrived in Colombo, rehearsals were still imperfect. “I worried whether we could do justice to this,” he admitted. “Knowing how disciplined and demanding Father Claver was.”
Yet something shifted in the final days. Long-standing relationships—some spanning three, four, even six decades—began to assert themselves. Differences of opinion arose, as they always do, but were ultimately set aside. “There was something beyond the musicality,” Corera reflected. “A sense of camaraderie and fellowship that brought everything together.”
A final curveball came when the intended soloist for O Holy Night could not attend. Corera stepped in. The choice felt inevitable. “That was probably Father Claver’s most loved piece,” he said. “People came to Midnight Mass just to hear him sing it. What better tribute could there be?”
A Legacy That Continues to Sing
For Joey Caspersz, an old boy of St. Peter’s College and a supporter of Father Claver’s work, the impact was immediate and personal. “Father Claver was my mentor in college,” he said. “All that I have achieved is because of the interest he took in me, mostly by example.” Though years had passed with only occasional contact, seeing Father Claver’s image on screen and hearing his voice echo through the church on that warm December evening proved overwhelming. “The melodies and the narrative captured the essence of the man and his impact on all of us,” he said. “The packed church and the applause were a testament to that.”
What the recital ultimately revealed was not simply remembrance, but continuity. New conductors, new singers, and new music now shape SMCG, but many unknowingly carry Father Claver’s influence in their standards, discipline, and respect for the craft. His legacy, as Corera observed, lives on even among those who never knew the man himself.
For those who wish to experience that living legacy, the season is not yet over. The St. Mary’s Choral Group will present its Carol Service on 20 December at St. Mary’s Church, Bambalapitiya, followed by Midnight Mass on 24 December. In those services—through old hymns, new compositions, and voices shaped across generations—the presence of Father Claver Pereira will remain unmistakable.
Please see video link to "I Will Never Forget You", a recital marking sixty years of the choral legacy of Fr Claver Perera -
