2 days ago
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The UWI Chapel was alive with the sounds of opera, classical, and romantic favourites as the National Chorale of Jamaica (NCOJ) opened its 2026 concert season to a full house on Sunday.
The major moment of the evening was black British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s dramatic cantata Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast, based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem. The performance honoured Coleridge-Taylor’s pioneering legacy, with NCOJ lyric tenor Brenton McLean portraying Chibiabos, the gentle village figure described as the “sweetest of all musicians”.
McLean performed the beloved tenor aria Onaway! Awake, beloved!, a song of love and longing addressed to his friend Hiawatha and his bride. The piece was supported by the full 30-member NCOJ choir and accomplished concert pianist and organist Stephen Shaw-Naar, senior lecturer at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.
Shaw-Naar’s virtuosity was showcased in a solo performance of Chopin’s Étude in E major, Op. 10 No. 2.
Among the evening’s other highlights was Mozart’s Don Giovanni, featuring the famed duet Là ci darem la mano (There we will give each other our hands), in which the nobleman Don Giovanni attempts to seduce Zerlina, a young peasant bride-to-be, after inviting her and her fiancé, Masetto, to his castle for a wedding celebration. When Masetto exits, Giovanni seizes the opportunity, urging Zerlina to elope with him.
The dramatic scenario was portrayed by contralto Christine MacDonald and bass Michael Sutherland, whose playful exchanges, rich characterisation and vocal chemistry conveyed temptation, hesitation and desire, earning extended applause from the audience.
MacDonald also delivered compelling solo performances, including Benjamin Britten’s Festival Te Deum (We Praise Thee, O God), the ancient Latin hymn traditionally sung at major religious and civic occasions. Another standout was Brahms’ deeply emotional Alto Rhapsody, drawn from verses of Goethe’s Harzreise im Winter.
Written as a personal “bridal song” for Julie Schumann, daughter of composers Robert and Clara Schumann, the work reflects themes of isolation, inner turmoil and the yearning for spiritual peace –often seen as mirroring Brahms’ own hidden anguish.
The theme of love was woven throughout the programme, with the Chorale presenting a selection of romantic favourites, including Twilight Time (written by Buck Ram and popularised by The Platters in 1958), Softly, as I Leave You by Italian songwriter Tony De Vita, and Leonard Bernstein’s timeless Somewhere from the classic musical West Side Story.
Bass Edmund Carter performed Cuando Calienta el Sol (When the Sun Heats Up), accompanied on piano by choir member Racquel McLean, whose playing complemented his rendition.
In his address, Chairman Christopher Samuda reflected that, in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, the Chorale found it especially meaningful to usher audiences into the birth of a 19th-century masterpiece by Coleridge-Taylor.
His celebrated work, Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast, he noted, together with the amorous works of Britten and Brahms, is a radiant celebration of life, giving voice to the depths of human emotion and echoing timeless themes of enduring love, hope, and aspiration.
The evening of musical excellence was held under the distinguished patronage of Sir Kenneth Hall, former Governor-General of Jamaica, and Lady Rheima Hall.
Conducting duties were shared, with Michael Sutherland leading the first half of the programme and Maestro Winston Ewart directing Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast with authority and finesse.
The programme was hosted by NCOJ Vice Chairman Donna Parchment Brown. Attendees included members of the Diplomatic Corps, Corporate Jamaica, and students from selected high and primary schools.
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