When the Guyana Music Teachers Association (GMTA) holds its annual Musicians on Stage concert, it presents the crème de la crème of students to delight music lovers and last Sunday’s affair, with its several film themes plus the spice of the National School of Dance doing two Linda Griffith choreographies and the versatile Parkside Steel Orchestra showing its mettle was no exception.
The choice pieces catered to classical, blues, jazz, gospel and folk music lovers. While some of the younger musicians appeared slightly nervous before the medium-sized audience at the Marion Academy auditorium, the confidence of others shone through their music.
Stand-out performances which were well received came from Tevera Franklin, Varsha Panday, Adaeze Lumumba, Tabitha Mitchell, Leigh Riane Amsterdam, Hilary Bose, Kazia Watson and Kevin Arthur among others.
Tevera, who performed three times, first gave an impressive introduction of herself to anyone who had never heard her before when she did a violin solo of Henry Mancini’s “Moon River”. Next it was a piano duet, Tchaikovsky’s “The Sleeping Beauty” with Maya Phillips. Tevera’s piano solo Hanna, Barbera and Curtin’s “Top Cat” set the audience’s feet tapping. Combined the pieces showed her strength and why she would have performed creditably at the recent Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) exams.
Varsha’s violin solo “Wondrous Love” was performed with just the right hint of haunting, soulful drama, given that it was done by an anonymous composer. Varsha, a pupil of the Clemsville Music Conservatory, gained a distinction in violin – grade one and was awarded the Dr Bernadette Theodore Gandi Trophy for Violin or Woodwind.
Adaeze, another Clemsville pupil and recipient of the Clara Burrowes Trophy for attaining a distinction in piano – grade three, performed twice. First, in her piano solo, she gave a distinctive performance of Loeschhorn’s “Study in F”. Later on came her violin solo of “Old Joe Clark”, an American folk ballad by an anonymous composer.
Tabitha’s first appearance was in a piano duet – “He’s Got the Whole World” – with Jamal Skeete. And later on she did a piano solo – Handel’s “Study in F”.
In other piano solos Leigh Riane’s “Staccato Beans” (Tan Dun) fairly jumped; Hilary’s “Jazz Exercise No. 2” (Oscar Peterson) would have been well played at any jazz session; and Kazia’s “Lowside Blues” (Joanna Mac Gregor) hit the right note.
It was only fitting that these three performances were followed Kevin Arthur’s trumpet solo of Leonard Bernstein’s “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story. Kevin, a grade six pupil of Andrea Mentore, was later on awarded the Phillip Pilgrim Harp, which is given by the examiner to the most musical performer at the examination.
The William ‘Billy’ Pilgrim Trophy, which was awarded for the first time on Sunday after being handed over to Vice-President of the GMTA Rosemary Henry by Magda Pollard on behalf of the Woodside Choirs International, was won jointly by Raynelle Lord and Geron Scotland. Raynelle and Geron, piano – grade one pupils of Pauline Mitchell were the pupils with the highest distinction mark overall. They also won the Junior Music Teacher’s Prize and not surprisingly, their teacher Pauline Mitchell won the Teacher’s Prize for the Junior Section. Raynelle played one of Theodore Latour’s “Sonatinas”, while Geron played William Duncombe’s “Gavot”.
Meanwhile, Ruth Ann Manbodh, a pupil of Rosemary Henry, won the Sarah Parris Trophy for gaining a distinction at piano – grade one. Colin Ross, a pupil of Cecil Bovell, won the Edna Jordan Trophy for theory, gaining a distinction at grade five. Ruth Ann’s piano solo was the traditional English carol “Early One Morning”.
Other performances included piano solos by Chareese Van Dyke (“Trudging/Arpad Balazs), Elmira Persaud (“Never Vex a Tyrannosaurus Rex”/Paul Drayton) Stephen Lewis (Beethoven’s “Minuet in F”), Crystal Farinha (“African Dance”/John Rowcroft), Shavanie Devi Singh (“Song of Erin”/Dunhill), Anwar Hussain (“Country Gardens”/Morris Dance), Precious Hermanstein (“Russian Folk Song”/Beethoven), Omar Britton Grant (“Spanish Fiesta”/Thompson), Arinze Chance (“Minuetto”/ Kirnberger) and Jared Gilbert (“Allegro Moderato”/ Reinecke).
The St Stanislaus College Choir sang “River Idyll” and “We Are the Young”. Marcella Thompson asked and answered the question as she sang Schubert’s “Who is Sylvia?”
The Buxton Fusion School of Music, with performers as young as five years old did the “Small Days Medley”.
Tennisia De Freitas, fast becoming noted as a calypsonian sang a calypso which advocated “wrapping it up” to avoid contracting HIV. While the need to spread the message was noted, the innuendo-laced lyrics were a tad racy for a Sunday afternoon concert.
At the end Russell Lancaster presented the trophies and awards. A token of appreciation to long-serving member of the association Gloria Smith-Mansook was received on her behalf by Gem Rohlehr –Vogt. GMTA member Sharon Bryan gave the vote of thanks.
GMTA member Rosemary Benjamin-Noble was the MC.
