Parkside Steel Orchestra reigned supreme on Sunday when the curtains came down on the annual Pan-O-Rama competition at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
With its win in the large band category, the band unseated the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport Steel Orchestra, which had won the category in the previous two years.
The final night of the steel pan competition, hosted by Republic Bank in collaboration with the Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, saw the Sports Hall come alive with the sweet sounds of steel pan music as bands from across Guyana participated in three categories: Small School Band, Large School Band and Large Band.
The large bands were required to compose an original piece for the competition, while the school bands were required to arrange pieces by a Guyanese composer and interpret the songs in their own style.
Parkside won the large band category with its original piece, “Music from Mars Carnival,” which was composed and arranged by Kurleigh Lowe. The Department of Culture Youth and Sport Steel Orchestra placed second, with “Jubilee,” which was composed by Compton ‘Ras Camo’ Narine and arranged by Colgrain Whyte. The Guyana Police Force Steel Band placed third with its piece, titled “Secondhand Man,” which was composed by Sergeant Michael Smith.
In the small school band category, the underdog, Dolphin Secondary, won for its unique version of “The Song of Guyana’s Children.” Lodge Secondary, which played “To Serve My Country,” placed second, while St Rose’s High School, which played “Not a Blade of Grass,” placed third.
In the large school band category, North Ruimveldt Secondary School, which gave an energetic and pulsating performance, won first place with its timeless piece, “Oh Beautiful Guyana.”
Last year’s winner in the category, Buxton Pride Youth Orchestra, placed second for its rendition of “Oh Beautiful Guyana,” while the Bishops’ High School, which played “Song of Hope,” followed behind in third.
Pan Wave, which played “The Song of Guyana’s Children,” was a crowd favourite but did not make the judges’ cut and was knocked out of the competition.
The overall results were happily received by the audience.
Prizes are to be handed over at a later date.
