Christmas has come and gone. Though it was marred to some extent by spates of misfortune, still the spirit of the season was indeed evident as many took time to celebrate the birth of Christ.
In an effort to maintain its usual fervour of spreading Christmas cheer and good will, the St. Augustine’s Choral staged an unusual open-air concert for Christmas 2021. The grand event, dubbed “A Village Christmas”, was held on the premises of Tropical Distributors warehouse and store on the evening of Monday, December 20th.
St. Augustine Chorale concerts are typically promoted as “cantatas”, and feature selections of extraordinary quality that draw crowds of appreciative Christmas-music enthusiasts from all across the island. Performances are usually staged in a Church-hall setting at the St. Augustine’s Anglican Church in East End. But due partly to Covid-19 restrictions, the Chorale was unable to host a concert in 2020, so the bright idea which was thrown out to host an open-air event, for Christmas 2021, was met with unanimous approval.
Thus, the appreciative audience was inspired and entertained with some traditional Christmas staples like “Joy to the World”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “Ding Dong Merrily on High”, as well as some Caribbean favourites like “He is Born”, “De Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy”, and a repertoire of more contemporary hits like “Across the Sky”, “The Night Before Christmas”, “My Grown Up Christmas List” and “There’s a Reason. Dumpa Martin also featured lively vibes on the steel-pan, and Anita Martin-Ruan performed as guest artist with “Jesus Our Saviour was Born” and “Put Back Christ in Meh Christmas”. But perhaps the most intriguing was a folkloric Christmas song entitled “Welcome We Baby Brudder”, with lyrics and music composed in 1971 by Dr. Oluwakemi M. Linda Banks. It was transcribed for the Chorale’s performance by Kamal Vanterpool, son of the Chorale’s Director, Lennox Vanterpool.
Speaking after the concert, the Director remarked: “These are very uncertain times. They are ‘iffy’ days. But we continue to celebrate the Christ of Christmas. It is He who causes us to redouble our efforts in living out the faith that we defend. So, on behalf of the Chorale, I wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas season and best wishes for the New Year as we hold to God’s unchanging hand in 2022.”
