2 days ago
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The implementation of the long-held plans of two Jamaican musicians for Caribbean classical music took a big step forward last weekend. Franklin E. Halliburton, musical director and conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Jamaica (POJ), and Rodari Simpson, founder and artistic director of The Concert Chorale of Harlem (TCCH), want to take Caribbean classical music “to the world”.
The thinking is that Caribbean popular music has been internationally enjoyed for decades and it’s now the turn of our classical music. After all, our classical musicians are as good as our reggae, dancehall, calypso and soca artistes.
Last Saturday and Sunday, the POJ and the TCCH jointly presented Éclat Opéra: An evening of Arias, Classics, Spirituals & Jazz at the Little Theatre, Tom Redcam Avenue. Saturday’s night’s audience showed its delight with the 2½-hour-long concert (inclusive of a 15-minute intermission) by applauding every item. The composers were several recognised masters, among them Mozart, Puccini, Bizet, Saint-Saens, Donizetti and Verdi.
Three prolific Jamaican composers were also featured. Movement 3 from Jon Williams’ Marley Symphony, which was commissioned by the POJ, was played by that orchestra. Andrew Marshall contributed two movements from his Nyabinghi Symphony (2014), which provided a powerful climax to the concert. Halliburton, who conducted both pieces, composed a third, an up-tempo Ave Maria.
Bob Marley’s popular No Woman, Nuh Cry was emotionally sung by TCCH mezzo soprano Nedelka Prescod. Empathetic accompaniment came from TCCH’s Christopher Cooley, the pianist for most items.
Big name composers from American musical theatre were Leonard Bernstein, whose poignant Glitter and Be Gay, from Candide, was sung by soprano Olanna Goudeau; brothers George and Ira Gershwin, whose satirical song It Ain’t Necessarily so, from Porgy & Bess, was sung by soloist Chauncey Packer, with help from other TCCH members; and Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s inspirational Climb Every Mountain was sung by soprano Geraldine McMillian.
Superb soloists
The other soloists were also superb. Soprano Laquita Mitchell sang, among other numbers, Vissi d’arte from Puccini’s opera Tosca; mezzo soprano Daveda Browne sang, among other songs, the popular Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen; mezzo soprano Patrice P. Eaton sang (with Simpson, a tenor) Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix from Saint-Saens’ Samson et Dalila; tenor Lonnie Reed, along with Packer and Simpson, sang the fun song Funiculi, Funicula by Luigi Danza.
The guest conductor was the multi-talented Tyrone Clinton, Jr, founder and artistic director of The Unsung Collective Inc, a non-profit organisation devoted to celebrating people of colour in Western art music in New York City.
Praise for Clinton’s teaching style, particularly his patience and attention to detail, came from the POJ’s principal flautist, Brian Miller. In an online video he speaks about a preparatory music workshop conducted by Clinton and some TCCH members in Kingston in July.
In his video, Miller states, “I am really excited about the concert we’ll be presenting in November.”
He must’ve been just as excited about actually taking part in the concert and pleased with the audience’s enthusiastic reception, which declared it a success.
REPEAT SHOW
Asked about a repeat of the magnificent show next year, Executive Chairman of the POJ Andrew Ho revealed that “they’re asking us to go up [to New York] next year”.
In his message in the concert’s printed programme, Ho also wrote about the international plans of the groups.
“Both the POJ and TCCH have a common objective of sharing the wonderful world of classical music with audiences across the world and educating them in the intricacies and splendour of this timeless art form,” Ho wrote.
“In the case of the POJ, we specifically aim to expose the abundant creative talent of Jamaican composers and musicians and we seek to present work done by local composers whenever there is an opportunity,” the executive chairman declared in his message.
English (US) ·