For 60 years, the Woodside Choir, said to be the oldest secular choir in Guyana and the Caribbean, has been constantly and consistently providing high quality of several genres of singing, including classical, folk, light classical, pop songs, songs of American and English composers, music from shows, hymns and national songs, in a variety of environments.
Recipient of the Medal of Service National Award, the choir celebrates its diamond jubilee this year with a series of events that has already started. In April, the Stainer’s Crucifixion was performed twice – at Bedford Methodist on the 4th and again at Christ Church on the 6th. Tomorrow at 5 pm, a Thanksgiving Commemoration Service will be held at Christ Church, Waterloo Street.
During June and July, Woodside will work on producing at least 3 CDs of selections of its singing, which will go on sale later on.
From July 30 to August 8, Woodside in collaboration with the Guyana Music Arts Festival Inc and the Guyana Music Teachers Association will host music/choral workshops at the Bishops’ High School which will be open children and adults. The workshops will include sessions dealing with piano pedagogy, brasswind pedagogy, steel pan pedagogy and courses in hand chimes, recorders and boomwhackers. Peter Archer, Mildred Lowe, Kendra Hollingsworth, Neil Walker, Claire Hunte, Camille Prescott are among the facilitators expected for the workshops. Also expected are Joycelyn Hunte, Kenrick and Kurleigh Lowe and James Ruiz Sydney. Registration started on May 21 and closes on June 15. Forms are available at the Guyana Music Festival office, 221 Charlotte Street from Mondays to Fridays between the hours of 3 pm and 6 pm.
On August 9, Woodside will host a concert at the National Cultural Centre, at which it will also launch its CDs. The workshops’ facilitators, who are all performers, will be featured at this concert as well as associate members from the Stainer’s Choir. The next evening Woodside will hold its anniversary dinner and hopefully an awards ceremony.
In September, on days to be announced, the choir will travel to New Amsterdam, Berbice and to Linden for performances.
In November, another CD ‘Span the Time’, will be launched and this one traces the history of Woodside through music. A 60th anniversary souvenir booklet will also be launched. As usual, in December, Woodside will host its traditional Christmas concert at Christ Church.
Woodside began as the Bishops’ High School Old Girls’ Choir in 1952, initially to take part in the first Music Festival held in then British Guiana. The choir was so successful, winning both its Class Trophy and the Championship Trophy in the festival that the members continued to sing as a group. Some four years later a decision was taken to expand the choir and men along with other women, who were not Bishops’ old students, began to join Woodside.
In 1964, a folk group was formed and many of its members were also members of Woodside.
Over the years, Woodside continued to offer quality music, performing at home and abroad. However, like every other institution in Guyana, it was affected by the brain drain. Many members migrated, but the choir continued to thrive through the 70s, 80s and 90s driven by the commitment of its members who sang for the joy of it.
It was in the 90s that the folk group was resuscitated and renamed ‘Korowka’ an Amerindian word, under the leadership of deputy conductor Deryck Bernard. Korowka involved the younger members of the choir and its purpose was to try to preserve interest in creole music by putting it in a more acceptable form and performing at venues not normally used by the choir.
Throughout the years, membership has comprised a cross-section of the community – public servants, nurses, teachers, students, and home managers, bound together by the common joy of singing.
