CHAPTER 7

DEVELOPMENT OF WESTERN MUSIC IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION FROM THE TIME OF FOREIGN RULE TO PRESENT DAY

The spread of Western Music in Sri Lanka is closely linked with the vast social changes that occurred as a result of the foreign rule. Acquiring a knowledge of Western music had become a social asset and this created considerable interest in Western Music long before it secured a place in the school curriculum.

During the Portuguese era singing which consisted mainly of religious chanting was given pride of place next to Christianity. This was regarded as the first instance where the indigenous population was exposed to Western singing. Selected children were trained to sing in the choir but there were occasions when all the pupils took part in singing.

Buddhists were not familiar with singing during worship. The Christian way of worship and singing hymns in church attracted the locals, especially the younger generation.

The Kafferiñña music introduced by the Portuguese is one of the strongest influences in music that has lasted in the country and developed as an indigenous form of music of the country.

The Dutch concentrated more on formal education. The curriculum was Western in outlook and it can be said that singing would have occupied a place in the curriculum. Instead of the Catholic Chant, Protestant's Dutch Reformed Church would have been much influenced by the type of Western music education that existed in Holland at that time. Records show that it was the Dutch who first introduced ballroom dancing to Sri Lanka.

During the British rule, the curriculum did not include singing as a subject in schools. However, during the latter part of the Nineteenth Century, singing was introduced in a few schools.

Institutions such as Royal Schools of Music, London and Trinity College of Music, London had introduced their examinations to the country during the last two decades in the Nineteenth Century.

It can be said that Western Music in General Education came with the Education Reforms in 1972 when the National Certificate of General Education (NCGE) Examination was introduced. At this examination an aesthetic subject was made compulsory and it was during this time that the subject of Western Music was made an alternative aesthetic subject.

Prior to 1972, at the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level, (GCE O/L) Examination one could offer a combination of subjects of one's choice. At this examination Western Music too became an alternative subject of choice for a candidate. Although one could offer Western Music as a subject, only a few private schools were in a position to coach students in school itself. As such, students learnt Western Music privately and sat for the examination through the school.

Other than the Western Music course being made available in schools, one could offer Western Music individually at various grades for examinations conducted by Private Institutions and also by the Department of Examinations. At these examinations the students get individual attention given by private music teachers.

It has to be recorded that Mr. A T Krasse, Chief Education Officer, worked in the field of Western Music for nearly two decades and retired in 1977. During the latter part of Mr. Krasser's service the present author was requested to assist him in his endeavour owing to his ill-health. On his retirement the post was offered to the present author and the offer was declined owing to personal reasons.

Mr. J E Rosairo, a teacher of Western Music, was seconded for service to the Ministry of Education in 1979 and was later confirmed as Circuit Education Officer, Class V of the Sri Lanka Education Service and he worked in this capacity until his death in 1985.

The present author, whilst being a teacher, worked for the Ministry of Education from 1974 assisting whoever was in charge of the subject of Western Music in the Ministry. In 1985 she joined the Ministry and in 1991 was appointed as Deputy Director of Education in charge of Western Music and held this post until her premature retirement in 2000. In 2001 she was taken back to the Ministry as a Consultant for Western Music and continues in this capacity up to date.

Mrs. Shanthi Bandara, also a music teacher, joined the Department of Education, Western Province in 1998 as an In-Service Advisor. She assists the Ministry whenever necessary.

When Western Music became an alternative subject at the NCGE Examination a new syllabus had to be drafted. The work on the new Western Music syllabus started in 1974 at the Curriculum Development Centre of the Ministry of Education. There were six members in the Western Music Sub-Committee which included Prof. V Basnayake who was the Chairman, General Aesthetic Committee, and also the Chairman of the Sub-Committee for Western Music. The present author was also a member of this Committee and served as Secretary to the Committee.

Ever since the present author has acted as the thread running though all the Committees up to the present time, keeping Western Music alive and working for its development.

The new syllabus recognised the need for training pupils in General Musicianship, while musical performance was encouraged. Musical appreciation was stressed. The Examination included a listening test as the need for every pupil to listen to music was considered important. This provided an opportunity for a child interested in music to learn the subject, even without having lessons on an instrument or even vocal training.

Teachers had to be trained to take up this new approach to teaching music. A number of seminars for teachers were held to explain the new syllabus. Cassettes containing all listening material were prepared with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) and distributed among schools teaching this subject.

The SLBC also undertook Music Education Programmes in keeping with the Western Music Syllabus and broadcast during school time and weekends.

Teachers of Western Music up to that time were used to teaching students individually, preparing them for music examinations conducted by various institutions or teaching singing in the classroom. According to the new syllabus, group teaching had to be done. Teaching a class of students with varying talents was a challenge that the teachers had to face.

By the time Western Music was introduced to the General Education, Oriental Music was well established. Introducing the Western culture to an Eastern society was not an easy task. There were many obstacles to be cleared up..

At this point it has to be stated that the Sri Lankan society could be divided into two main categories. One is the so-called 'High Class', the privileged English speaking elite society from the cities who have had access to Western culture. Some of them who have had an opportunity to sing in Church and the others in association with the Europeans or having been educated abroad or at Private Institutions that are highly 'westernised.'

The other category is the rural folk, most of them coming from the farming society without formal education or only with vernacular education who neither speak English nor have any links to Western Culture.

In 1945 when free education was introduced to some extent the barriers were cleared. Even a rural child got an opportunity to enter a University. However, there are many other obstacles one had to face.

Dr. Robert Smith, International Consultant for Music, was in Sri Lanka in 1999 for six months working on the Pre-Service Teacher Education Curriculum of the National College of Education. In the report submitted by him he has stated that approximately 80 per cent of Sri Lankan Schools do Oriental music, 13 per cent Carnatic music and 07 per cent Western Music.

The smaller number in the field of Western music can be attributed to the fact that there exists the language barrier, where people feel that to study Western Music one has to be fluent in English.

The Buddhist way of worship does not encourage singing. Therefore, a larger proportion of the population in the country is not exposed to singing unlike the Christians. The Buddhist way of worship however includes chanting that takes place within a range of a minor 3rd.

Economically too, there are barriers as Western Music instruments are very costly compared to the Oriental instruments. Since there is no ready demand in the rural areas, Resource Persons are also not available in the outstations.

In popularizing the subject Western Music, language, cultural and economic barriers had to be cleared. For this purpose various projects were undertaken by the Ministry of Education on the present author's suggestion.

They could be listed as follows:

• Establishing the National Youth Orchestra (NYO)

• Reorganizing the Western Music & Dance Competition

• Conducting the National Music Festival

• Establishing the Western Music Resource Centre

• Training programme for teachers changed from Institutional to Distance mode of training

• Colleges of Education, the pre-service teacher training college introducing a special course for Western Music

• General Certificate of Education Advanced Level Western Music Special class

The National Youth Orchestra was dealt with in Chapter 6

Competitions are conducted for all aesthetic subjects. In 1992 Western Music competition was suspended for a short period as up to that time the records showed that only a few private schools and a few privileged schools had participated. Owing to this reason the Ministry had to think of alternative projects to popularize the subject.

The competitions were reintroduced in 1999 when the Ministry felt that the students and teachers had gained courage to participate owing to the many projects introduced by the Ministry.

The Ministry also made certain changes. The schools were graded and the set music varied according to the facilities available in that particular category of school. The judgment too was done with this in mind which made the less privileged schools to develop confidence and feel comfortable and satisfied.

The number of competitors had doubled in 1999 and the next competition held in 2002 showed positive results as the outstation schools had gained 67 per cent positions and the privilege schools had only 33 per cent. The Ministry is making every effort to conduct the competition alternating with The National Music Festival.

National Music Festival 'Music for Unity' programme was first held in October 1994 in place of Western Music competitions. The music festival is a massive task where over 3,000 students participate.

The National Youth Orchestra takes the centre stage and accompanies the National Youth Choir and the various dance groups. Much planning and organizing is involved and it is not possible to have it annually as such it is held every other year.

Some features of the festival are as follows:

• Festival includes orchestral performance, choir and dancing.

• All participants and the trainers receive a certificate.

• The festival is open to all schools irrespective of the fact whether the subject is taught in school or not.

• The programme includes 70 per cent Western and 30 per cent Oriental songs. All ethnic groups are represented.

• On receiving the applications, a cassette containing all the songs that are sung at the festival along with the words and music are provided to each school.

• As most schools do not have teachers for Western Music the training of students is undertaken by the teacher in charge of English or any other person competent to do so.

• Three months after sending the cassette, training sessions are held in about 10 - 12 centres where 30 students from each school will be participating. They all get a certificate for choral training at provincial level.

• At national level 15 participants are allowed.

• The usual venue is the 5,000 capacity Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium.

• All items are practised in isolation with remote control from the Ministry. Recordings of music for the dances are provided to the schools that participate and they practise independently.
All performers meet the day before the final performance and one rehearsal is held. It is amazing to see how the full programme works out. Every person that has undertaken a specific duty performs it so well that there has never been a lapse. The intensity of dedication, unity, energy and hard work, all put together, make one perfect event. The Government of Japan gave a further grant of equipment worth Rs.27 million and with this the Western Music Resource Centre was established in 2000. This is the only venue of its kind and the training of teachers/students and various special classes are conducted at this centre. Institutional training of teachers was changed to Distance Mode of training owing to the following reasons: The Aesthetic Training College that was training teachers is in a remote area. (Giragama in the Kandy district) Resource persons found it difficult to travel up to the Training College owing to the distance. Married teachers were not willing to follow the two-year institutional training programme at the Aesthetic Training College owing to the reasons stated above. Distance Mode of Education was introduced in 1994 and four batches have received training so far. For this purpose 15 modules were written covering all topics of the syllabus. The modules are written in simple English to help the teachers who are not so fluent in English.
