Lakshman Randeniya - BMR 2009

Dear All,


Congratulations for putting together a fantastic BMR 2009.  The show was appreciated and enjoyed by many people and a major comment was that the show was not boring.  I will list some positives and negatives as I saw. They are only meant to be passed on for a even more successful BMR in 2010.
For the committee only:
1.      A major positive was the length of the items. This definitely contributed to a smooth flow of the show. Any items which were not up to the standard were over within 4-5 minutes without making it painful for the audience.  Good items finished on very high notes. The Production committee should be commended on this.
2.       Newer performers were brought on stage.  This is always a positive as long as they present something innovative.
3.      Youth participation was fairly high, although this trend has been clear for many years.
4.      The show was long as always but this may not be a big problem for the audience (may be for the committee) as long as boring and long items are not presented. This was particularly evident this year, the show came to an end without any fuss from the audience. I didn’t note time passing.
5.      Innovative stage decoration added value to the stage presentation particularly because of the clever placements of the artefacts.
6.      The Pranama for Premasiri Kemadasa was most appropriate and added value to the show; and well presented with Sulang Kurullo song.
7.      Classic presentations: Parnama, TYG thriller, Lapa Nomawn;  Bahu Ranga
8.      Technical side (lighting, smooth flow) was not particularly up to standard. Although some creative background slides/movies were presented lighting projections for some items were not up to standard. Starts and stops/ delays, although only a very few, need to be avoided.
9.      The start and the finale of the show wasn’t particularly interesting or creative.  The start was no better than an ordinary school concert until the school children came on stage and presented a fantastic item (item 6 ??).
10.     Although it was a good idea to give many youngsters an opportunity, the constant change of MC was annoying. The audience normally make a “relationship/trust” with the MCs and this bond has to be maintained from the beginning to the end.  They maintain a common thread through a fast-changing environment. Changing them constantly did not add anything to the show.
11.     Late delivery of the printed program.
12.     As in the previous years, some items clearly lacked innovation or creativity.  Well, for scientists it’s just a Gaussian.
13.     I was particularly annoyed that nobody announced  Reggie Dissanayake was invited to light the Pahana to honour his services to the community.  SCF committees should not fail to acknowledge people who carry this organisation forward with great commitment at their pinnacle event.
I am not commenting on other behind-the-scene issues that I came to know from various sources. I trust the committee will be able to discuss these and go forward.  All progressive efforts are not going to be always popular. We should accept that. I always trust that the present committee has been given the rights and responsibility to carry the SCF forward as they see fit.
I hope that the marathon effort for BMR will not deter you from carrying our important programs for the rest of the year.


My best wishes to all of you and know that we always value your efforts and dedication.
Lakshman Randeniya