An Institution called New Kingstown Chorale

Ah want to write ah lickle something bout de New Kingstown Chorale (Chorale foh short-cut) on dey three score and ten years of Blessings and Thanksgiving. De records state dat 1956 was de year dis noble institution, The Kingstown Chorale, was officially launched.

De year 1955 was when ah batch ah troublesome Form 2 Boys entered Grammar School. De Maestro, Patrick “ Sir Pat” Prescod was de school’s Music Teacher and also Conductor of de school choir. Music Theory was boring from Lesson 1, learning to count rhythm patterns in music “Tah Tah! Tah Tay Tah! Tah Tay Tah Tay, Tah Tay Tah!” bored to de core. One ah dem brave youth wanting to show-off his talent asked Sir Pat: “Sir when are we going to sing foh real?” Always open foh suggestion from de younger generation, Sir Pat replied: “Well why not start today with some solos”. Same time de lickle 12 year ole youth, from Shatto name Tucker wid ah strong tenor voice, blasted ah sweet melody dat blocked off de corridor. De head Master Lopey, “D-Don” who was next door teaching ah class, rushed to our class to listen to Carl. De whole class froze, de singing stopped. D-Don said “No No! please continue son!” Dey was nuff potential and talent in dat Form 2: Carl Tucker, Clifford Edwards, Victor Peters and others ah car’ remember, most ah dem gone meet dey Saviour.

But “Sir Pat” was way ahead of his time. He of course was ah Christian, truly ah man of God, who actually confirmed in song bout de power of “De right hand of God”. However, behind this softer, kinder, gentler soul is/was ah hard task-master, ah perfectionist; ah disciplinarian.

Mediocra-see is/was not an option. Dat should explain why de group Kingstown Choral he founded is synonymous wid Excellence.

From day one “Sir Pat” sought and encouraged whatever talent dey was in his boys, better still if we were multi-talented. His priority was ah school’s choir, and later his dream choir: “ De Kingstown Chorale” .

Forgive me if ah stretching my imagine too much. But we felt “Sir Pat” wanted an organ-I-say-shun of multi talented members, singers, dancers, versatility (Trevor Edwards), and most of all disciplined and committed . Ah would have seen Choral on stage doing ah Chorale’s Create-shun of Lord Hawke’s (50 year ole Road March) Kaiso: “Ding Dong, Ding Dong,” widout musical sounds, but improvised ah complete Steel Band wid dey mouth only. Dat presentation receives encores every part of de world Chorale performs. “Every part ah de world yes: Guy-Anna, Trinny-Dad Toe big oh, Cuba, Bo-bathe-us, Can-Ada, USA, England. Christmas, Nine Mornings, Easter, Chorale has bin one ah SVG’s better Ambassadors!

Anyhow, back to de begin-in 1956, “Sir Pat’s year of origination. An eagle bearing de name “ The Kingstown Chorale was ready to take flight and soar. Interestingly seventy years ago, de church choirs dominated de country. Met-dis, Angle-can and Cat-lick ruled Kingstown. Dey was ah pressing need foh secular choirs. SVG and elsewhere was ready foh ah New Voice. Chorale was ready and has never failed to deliver.

Ah would love to menshun names of members who made one-dah-full contribution but dat will stir-up con-fuse-shun. And de news paper ain’t got space. Ah uses to love to hear Hermina Cambridge and Erline Williams. De four Edwards brothers; de Prescod and Edwards sisters. My villager Theo Saunders. Chorale had de most thunderous Bass Section: Albert Lawrence, John Horne, Lennox John, Kenny Durant Jus Edwards- kept de mony safe. Ah big up Sir Pat nuff, forgetting when you have an outstanding leader of excellence foh years, heaven help his or her successor. Foh de last 25 years de baton was in de safe hands of Jeanne “Jan” Horne. When Lie Za say ah person is Excellent, she leaves no room foh extra marks. Thanks Sir Pat , Thanks Lady Jan and from de bottom of de roots of de Love Vine. Thank Yuh, thank yuh. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy .

• Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.