Ms. Lois Hazell is the Founder and Director of the novel Anguilla National Choir which has performed immaculately at several formal and national events in recent times. She is also a prolific musician and music instructor.
On the evening of Sunday, November 1st, at the St. Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church, the National Choir featured a display of classical music talents by some of Anguilla’s best, young musical enthusiasts. The event demonstrated a brilliant spectacle of rich musical giftings bestowed upon each of the youthful artists who are astute in their discipline for music, generally, and classical music in particular.
The evening brought to the fore Anguilla’s best in classical performances that stretched over a long list of budding artists like: Akira Rogers on the bass clarinet; Kyiv Edwards, Casey Richardson, Angelique Rogers, Klein Harrigan and Michael Martin on the saxophone; Tiandra Carty, Sharianne Francis and Nandi Edwards on the flute; Kamal Vanterpool on the piano; Tyree Peters on the clarinet, as well as he and Kasem Thompson displaying their vocals. There was also a steel pan combo performance which crowned off the evening — the grand finale. This last item gained intense cheers and elongated applause, and it comprised players like Akira Rogers, Daneice Hodge and Michael Martin who reproduced Bach’s Jazz Sonata.
The appreciative audience was just as enthused as the performers themselves. Signs of amazement flooded most faces, as if to say, “we would have hardly believed this Broadway type of talent was in Anguilla.” Each and every piece played was met with hearty approval, evidenced by lively applause.
The Anguillian spoke with Ms. Hazell following the event. She stated: “This evening was a classical evening where we featured composers from the classical period. We reproduced the works of Bach, Mozart, Rachaminoff, Beethoven, Ferling and others, and we did these on instruments like the woodwind instruments, brass and the piano.”
She noted that the motive of the evening’s event was to sensitise the Anguilla public to the musical talents of our young people by playing tunes from the classical period. She claimed: “I think classical music is the foundation of all music — all genres — and it’s very soothing to the soul.” “Life without this kind of music is really a mistake,” she said.
Ms. Hazell has worked along with local musical greats such as Lennox Vanterpool and Kimba Southwell to craft and hone the musical skills of several young people. As she ended the Vote of Thanks she quoted the legendary Napoleon Bonaparte: “Music is what tells us that the human race is greater than we realise.”
– Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
