Amidst the grief and mourning of the past week there were at least two events which could have brought some soothing relief to the hearts of the audiences who had the chance to attend, namely, the Festival of Choirs at Bethel Methodist Church and the Recital by young Cordane O. Richardson at the St. Augustine Anglican Church. It was the late Hon. Robert Nesta Marley (“Bob Marley”) who wrote the immortal lines: “One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain”. If only for a fleeting moment, persons attending these programs would have been lifted away from their worries and stress by the many excellent performances on Sunday, 29th September. I certainly enjoyed both of these events albeit for different reasons.
Firstly, in order of appearance, I must comment on the recital by Cordane O. Richardson. The fact that young men of his period make the headlines much too often in criminal and/or tragic circumstances is a cause for concern. It is therefore important that we celebrate them for their positive achievements. This is a youngster who graduated last year with the highest CXC results and continues to excel academically. In his recital Cordane played four different instruments, namely, the Piano; the Steelpan; the Trumpet; and the Double Bass. And, to “top it all off”, he played several genres/kinds of music including, classical; rag time; gospel; latin; bossa nova; jazz; and more. Cordane made everyone “wow” with his performance as well as the modest confidence he exhibited throughout the entire recital. Despite the fact that I have observed and admired his development over the years, I could not help but be impressed by the fact that he continues to be fully engaged in improving his musical skills. There are many youngsters who have dropped out along that journey.
But it occurred to me that the “Cordanes” of our community do not develop by chance. We are all aware that his mother, Daphne Jacobs-Richardson, is a well-known music teacher at the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School (ALHCS). Undoubtedly, Daphne along with his father, Corveth Richardson, would have had a great impact on Cordane’s development but that is one success story. I want us to take note of the other successes in the wider community which I am sure would include a number of the other young men who accompanied Cordane. In this context, I commend the Music Department of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School for their dedicated and outstanding work. I must admit that I envy the opportunity the students now have in pursuing their musical talents in a formal environment. When we went to school we did not enjoy that privilege. These days, Speech Night; Graduation; and other such programs are a refreshing treat as we watch our talented young people in their presentations.
I therefore hail the Music Department of the ALHCS as a centre of excellence. And, even at the risk of omitting someone, I separately and collectively commend Mr. Lennox Vanterpool; Mrs. Daphne Jacobs-Richardson; Mrs. Lois Carbon; Mrs. Kimba Southwell; Mr. Michael “Dumpa” Martin; and Mr. Gordon Hazell for their contribution to the development of musical talent on Anguilla. Their work also extends into the Church and the community where they conduct classes and operate schools. I predict that with the support of the Government and the private sector the ALHCS Music Department can make a great difference in the quality of students coming out of the school in general and become a stepping-stone to great career opportunities.
Having said that I do not want to ignore the role that persons like Teacher Noonie; Teacher Rubie; Teacher Steph; Teacher Ruth Webster; Teacher Agnes Maynard; Teacher Joycelyn Ashby; and others would have played in music lessons during the early years. It is also a role that a number of Head Teachers like Teacher Morris Vanterpool; Teacher Calvin Hodge; Teacher Alwyn Hodge; Teacher Eudora; Teacher Donice; Teacher Albena and others have played in choral training. Unlike the present period, they operated in a less formal, under resourced and limited environment with less opportunities to incentivize their students. Yet these early teachers, and others like them, were the giants on whose shoulders a number of the teachers today would have been mentored and trained. They did well, but we now have institutions like the Morlens School of Music that deserves both our praise and attention for the work it is doing to showcase the products of the system and build the self-esteem and confidence of the youngsters.
Mr. Lennox Vanterpool’s Morlens School of Music has announced that it will “be presenting eleven talented performers in ten recitals over the next several months under the theme: “Our Music Community: Recital Series 2013 -2014”. Mr. Vanterpool has showcased a number of his students over the years and while I may not have been able to attend many of them I am always impressed with the sheer courage of the young performers as they headlined such events. Obviously, Mr. Vanterpool is able to evoke that confidence through his witty and motivating approach that I have noticed on the occasions that I have myself been under his direction. I believe that we need many more institutions like Morlens with dedicated and committed teachers to advance the cause of youth development through education. Indeed, I fully support the concept expressed by famous musician and composer Roy Ayers that: “the true beauty about music is that it connects people”. What better way to connect young people — our young people — than through music? This could very well be one of the strategies to deal with the divisions among our youth and the resulting violent exchanges that occur. Mr. Vanterpool and the other ALCHS music teachers have produced a number of talented young people from all parts of the island who can, no doubt, be a part of such an initiative — to connect their peers through music.
In keeping with this concept of connecting people through music, the Festival of Choirs program highlighted two important events in the life of the Methodist Churches in our District, namely, the launching of the new Methodist Hymn Book: “Voices in Praise” and 200 years of Methodist Witness in Anguilla. The new Hymn Book, in and of itself, is based on the recognition that “hymn singing is an integral part of the worship and beliefs. In fact Methodists sing their creeds”. The process of developing the Hymn Book took into account the various people of the region and as a consequence the music includes the several languages and dialects of Methodists who live here. There is an anecdote about a Methodist Minister who was asked the question: “If you were marooned on a deserted island and was given the choice of having one book which would you choose?” Most persons of the Christian faith would probably have said the Bible. But the Methodist Minister chose his Hymn Book. This perhaps underscores the importance of music in connecting people with each other but also with their faith. In fact the response in the service of dedication for the new Hymn Book reads: “We the people called Methodists conscious of our rich heritage in singing, receive this book with a deep sense of gratitude. We pledge to use it to the glory of God and the upliftment of all who worship in our chapels.”
It was probably to highlight the importance of the music ministry to achieving the milestone of 200 years of Methodism in Anguilla that the Festival of Choirs was held. If that was indeed the case the several Choirs that performed, both young and older, did a great justice to that celebration. They all sang the great Charles Wesley Hymns with much luster and creativity lending their interpretation to the musical chords and lyrics that have captured the essence of their faith even in the days of slavery and oppression. It was not a competition. It was an acknowledgement of the blessings received over two hundred years in songs of praise — the very songs that connect Methodists the world over. Obviously, without these songs it would have been difficult to achieve the heights that Methodism has reached over the centuries. Perhaps the famous quotation of the well-known German Philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, holds true: “Without music life would be a mistake!”
So let me label this column a tribute to music and the people who make it happen. From the recitals to the choir festivals it is all about connecting with the soul and with each other. I would like to see us as a people pay more attention to what music can do for our young people and for our community. It has great potential not only socially but economically as well. It can be used to calm the soul as well as to pay the bills. Yet it can elevate the mind and sharpen the intellect.
Maybe I can also use this as an opportunity to encourage the Government to develop more music festivals. They should ignore the fact that I am a jazz aficionado and facilitate the return of the Tranquility Jazz Festival in some form. A number of our youngsters were gaining interest in this event but above all they were developing skills in this very lucrative genre of music. And it was beginning to earn its place on the regional tourism calendar of activities. What about a Gospel Music Festival? What about string band festival? Just some thoughts! Perhaps our leaders should pay attention to the words of the Chinese Philosopher Mencius: “If the King loves music — there is little wrong in the land!” Play on!
