O Tempora! O Mores!

By Hugh Karunanayake

At the time of the Centenary celebrations of the school in 1935, the country was yet a British colony ruled by a British Governor and its social norms very much influenced by British custom and practice. In fact, the most important positions within the government, and private sectors were held by Britishers. So it was, that the Centenary celebrations were held in 1935 according to prevailing norms practised by the elites in Colombo who were mainly British, of course.

The Centenary celebrations of Royal College consisted of a formal dinner at the Galle Face Hotel on Saturday October 5, 1935, which was attended by 450 diners including, old boys, well-wishers, and government officials. A souvenir was issued to mark the occasion with the names of all the diners, including table plans, menu, music arrangements for the evening, and notes on formalities observed at the occasion.

The souvenir stands out as a document which reflects the social manners and customs of the time, all very much British in flavour. Fifty years later, in 1985, the school celebrated its sesquicentenary to observe the 150 years of its continued service as a significant educational establishment in the island. The sesquicentenary celebrations were also marked by a souvenir compiled on the same format as the one published 50 years previously.

There were over 400 diners present at the Hotel Lanka Oberoi on Saturday October 5, 1985 to celebrate the event. The two souvenirs issued to mark the two events separated by 50 years reveal some social changes that reflect the socio economic patterns that emerged during the intervening period. The sesquicentenary celebrations were held decades after the departure of the British as administrators of the colony, and 13 years after the erstwhile dominion declared itself as an independent republic. It will be interesting to note some of the changes evidenced in a comparison of the two souvenirs.

THE TOASTS

In 1935 the main toast was to the health of His Majesty the King, proposed by the Chairman at the dinner Mr LHW Sampson, Principal of Royal College. The response to the toast was by His Excellency Sir Graeme Tyrell, Governor of Ceylon. The next toast was to Royal College proposed by His Excellency the Governor, Sir Graeme Tyrell and responded on behalf of the school by prominent old boy Mr RL Pereira KC. The final toast was to the sister colleges proposed by old boy Rev Lucien Jansz, and responded to by Mr Francis Soertsz KC.

Fifty years later in 1985, the country was an independent state, and the main toast was to the health of His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka, Mr JR Jayewardene, who incidentally was the Secretary of the Royal College Union 50 years previously, organising the Centenary Dinner! The toast to His Excellency was proposed by Mr Gamini Salgado. A toast to Royal College followed, proposed by his Excellency Mr JR Jayewardene, which was responded to by Mr CTM Fernando, the Principal. The toast to the sister colleges was proposed by old boy Mr Lalith Athulathmudali, Minister of National Security and responded to by Mr Neville de Alwis, Principal of St Thomas College, Mount Lavinia and Dr L Adihetty, Principal of Wesley College.

The toast to the guests was proposed by old boy, Dr Colvin R de Silva, and responded to by His Excellency Stewart, CMG, OBE, High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in Sri Lanka.

While the toasts at the two events separated by 50 years followed a similar format, the main difference that could be observed in the formalities were from the change in national status from that of a colony to an independent republic.

THE MENUS

The two menus show a distinct difference in dining styles during the colonial period and independent Sri Lanka. To begin with, although life in Ceylon and mainly in Colombo was very much Anglo centric, it was apparent that the British admiration for French cuisine filtered down to the colonies as well. In the higher echelons of society it was cuisine raffinée that mattered, not so much the bare bones of English expression in describing a dish. Thus we have in 1935, a menu in French, and the courses evidently delicate in flavour and design. In 1985 we had as a starter a seafood cocktail which may have been looked down upon rather snootily in 1935, as “common or garden”

There was little to choose between the two main courses save the fact that beef was the main course in 1935 as compared to chicken in 1985. While salmon was the common fish of choice on both menus, overall one could sense a change in dining fare as well as what was considered as the most desirable epicurean delights on offer at the two dining tables. Time has certainly marched on and who knows, in another 50 years it may be egg hoppers and katta sambol with some mouth-watering meat curry!

The Music 1935

The music provided at the two events perhaps shows the greatest divergence in content and genre. There were two orchestras in attendance in 1935 plus a Quartette Rodrigo’s Harmony Band providing music up to 11 pm.

The music provided at the two events perhaps shows the greatest divergence in content and genre. There were two orchestras in attendance in 1935 plus a Quartette, Rodrigo’s Harmony band providing music up to 11pm. The Programme was as follows. 1. March “Old Comrades” Teike. 2. Overture “Pique Dame” Suppee. 3. Valse “Luxenberg” Lehar. 4. Selection “Yeoman of the guard” Sullivan. 5. Intermezzo “From Madame Sherry” Hoschna. 6. Potpourri “New Viennese Songs” Komzak. 7. Morceau “Orientale” Lotter. 8. March “distant Greetings” Doring.

The Music 1985

Many changes had evidently occurred during the intervening 50 years, with national languages given prominence, and an emerging revival of indigenous music. In 1985, THE SRI LANKA NAVY BAND was in attendance. They rendered a mixed bag of Western popular music like the Anniversary Waltz, the Sound of Music, Sri Lanka Folk Music including Gajaba Wannama and Thun Sarane Kavi, Sinhalese melodies like Sasana Wasana Thuru, and Wala Theren Eha, Viennese Waltzes, the Blue Danube, popular western songs like Strangers in the Night and Begin the Beguine, instrumentals, Scottish bagpipe tunes and finally with the Sinhalese classic Danno Buddunge. The Orchestra was conducted by Lieutenant B.A.V.I.K Fernando, Director of Music, Sri Lanka Navy. It was quite evident by 1985 that indigenous

music born out of the local environment was making its way into the upper echelons of society.

THE IMPACT OF JR JAYEWARDENE

Despite the fact that JR Jayewardene was one of the first Ceylonese politicians to adopt the national dress from way back in the 1940s, he was a well-known anglophile and his musical tastes tended to heavily favour French melodies like La Vien Rosé and La Gollondrina. In 1935, a 28-year old JR was the Secretary of the Royal College Union and it can be assumed that he was then relatively a greenhorn compared to imposing luminaries like his uncle Colonel T.G. Jayewardene, Donald Obeysekera, and Arunachalam Mahadeva, who adorned office in the Royal College Union.

Fifty years later, in 1985, however, he was the almighty President of Sri Lanka under a new constitution introduced by him and under which he claimed that he had vested himself with supreme power to do anything except, according to his own words, “make a man into a woman.” A man well known for his meticulous attention to detail, he was reputed to check all hospitality boxes when acting as host. This included not only the fare at the table and the wines to go with the meal, but also the specific items of musical accompaniment.

His musical preferences are clearly seen in the programme of 1985 where La Vien Rosè and Danno Buddunge, two of his favourites, were featured. The emerging Sinhala musical tradition spearheaded by artistes such as the late Amaradeva also appear to have influenced him. In fact, when Queen Elizabeth II visited Sri Lanka in 1981, he hosted a dinner to Her Majesty and a few chosen guests at the Lodge at Nuwara Eliya (the event recorded in a book to commemorate the occasion) where two of the key pieces played were Amaradeva’s Sasana Wasana Thuru and Danno Buddunge, a song made famous by his schoolmate Hubert Rajapakse.

It was no surprise to see these numbers played again at the 1985 function, revealing the hidden hand of JR! Thus one could see that the social changes that have influenced the country generally during the 50-year period had also influenced national leaders rooted in a different culture and raised to view the world differently.

(*O the Times! O the customs)