Geethasiri Karunatillake, … from Adelaide, Australia
I have always been passionate about music, but I never had the opportunity to study music or the ability to sing. That’s why when I learned about the capabilities of Chat-GPT, I knew I had to give it a try.
Undoubtedly, Batho was the most popular professor at the Engineering Faculty at Peradeniya University in the 1950s to 60s. I vividly recall how he could captivate us with his lectures, simplifying even the most intricate concepts and recapitulating in the end. 
After the graduation, I was unable to catch up with Prof Batho in Sri Lanka as I was in UK till mid 1975 and Batho had already departed Sri Lanka in 1974. Subsequently, in the late 1980s, I received an offer of employment in Zambia. We agreed to accompany four children to Zambia, who happened to be Professor Batho’s brother’s children. The eldest of them was Ramani Bartholomeusz.
Our flight was through Paris and when we arrived in Lusaka airport , Professor Batho was there to receive the children. I was very happy to meet and have chat with Prof. Batho. He expressed his gratitude for looking after the children.
However, in mid-1987, while still living in Zambia, we received heartbreaking news of Ramani’s sudden demise, which affected us profoundly. Years later, in 2009, during my son’s engagement in Brisbane, I had the unexpected opportunity of meeting Marie, Ramani’s younger sister, who informed me that her daughter would serve as the flower girl at my son’s wedding. It was an incredible moment of coincidence.
So when I discovered the lyrics generation capabilities of Chat-GPT, Prof. Batho was my first choice and I was able to generate lyrics that captured the essence of my memories with Chat-GTP prompts. From there, I used “Song R” an AI-powered music production platform that enabled me to generate original music simply by typing in lyrics. This platform utilized AI algorithms to produce music based on user input, while offering customization options such as genre, tempo, and instrumentation. While other programs like “Google Jukebox” and “Apple Garage Band” may produce superior melodies, they often require a bit more effort.
I hope that this melody will evokes memories of our time at the Engineering Faculty. I have also produced another YouTube video titled EFB67&68 Memories and the YouTube links are shown below. I warmly welcome anyone who wishes to produce an alternate version of the song.
Lastly, I would like to dedicate this song to the family of Professor Fredrick Bartholomeusz residing in US.
YouTube Links
Batho song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylZavt2W14w
EFB67&68 Memories song: … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ajVKhWjDs
Lyrics Batho song
Verse 1:
Oh the stories we have to share, of our professor so fair
Frederick Bartholomeus, otherwise known as Prof Batho
Spellbinding lectures that left us in awe, never a dull semester in moments of yore
Chorus
He taught us Fourier analysis, Laplace and Tensors too.
He made complex maths seem like a breeze; he got us through it all with ease.
Oh Prof Batho, we miss you so, no one can surpass the knowledge you bestowed.
Verse 2:
Details that were simple yet concise, solutions that seemed ever so nice,
He kept us spellbound and truly entranced, our minds guided by his math-filled glance.
In a world of his own our teacher was engulfed, the math concepts taught, we just couldn’t get enough.
Chorus
He taught us Fourier analysis, Laplace and Tensors too,
He made complex maths seem like a breeze; he got us through it all with ease.
Oh Prof Batho, we miss you so, no one can surpass the knowledge you bestowed.
Verse 3:
We remember our teacher and his wise words, his care and compassion like a single bird.
His teachings remain in our hearts and minds, over the years, never leaving behind.
Buried away in the world of mathematics, we hold dear the time we spent with him.
Chorus
He taught us Fourier analysis, Laplace and Tensors too,
He made complex maths seem like a breeze; he got us through it all with ease.
Oh Prof Batho, our favourite teacher of all, we’ll miss you when we hear the math’s call.
****************
ALSO NOTE
Ranjan Abayasekara: ….. https://thuppahis.com/2012/12/02/in-memory-of-professor-freddie-bartholomeusz-and-peradeniya/
AMENDMENT IN EMAIL NOTE from GEETH to MARIE BARTHOLOMEUSZ, 12 June 2023:
“Dear Marie, Thank you for bringing to my attention the mistake in my Thuppahi blog article. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
I’m writing to request your approval to make the following changes to the 5th paragraph:
“However, in mid-1987, while still living in Zambia, we received heartbreaking news of Ramani’s sudden death, which affected us profoundly. Years later, in 2009, during my son’s engagement in Brisbane, I had the unexpected opportunity to meet one of Ramani’s younger sisters, who informed me that her son would serve as the page boy at my son’s wedding. It was an incredible moment of coincidence.”