The New Kingstown Chorale, Reflections

I have over the years tried not to miss any of the shows of the New Kingstown Chorale but could not this year because of some other commitments. I was however fortunate to be able via YouTube to have followed most of its 70th anniversary show. In these days an institution/organisation existing for 70 years is remarkable. As the organisation and its fans reflect on its 70 year existence, I have decided to feature one of its shows, actually its 59th anniversary show, one year before its 60th anniversary. The caption of that article was “The New Kingstown Chorale Continues to Set the Pace.”

The date was Friday, May 22, 2015, and the venue was the Kingstown Methodist Church. The Chorale’s “Our God for All Seasons” was scheduled to start at 8 p.m. and it did so; maybe a few seconds or even a minute or two after. By 10 p.m. we were ready to leave the church. Two hours of a programme that went smoothly, except for only slight interruptions to emphasize the fact that a part of the programme was dedicated to the victims and families of the Rock Gutter tragedy and to victims of domestic abuse and violence; the involvement of the audience in singing happy birthday for long standing member and cultural icon John Horne, and faithful fan Roslyn Maule. Then thanks were given as usual by the group’s business manager Gillian John; singling out Addison Stoddard and Sean Sutherland who had returned home specifically for the occasion, both, I believe paying their own passages. Then the audience’s participation in joining the Chorale in singing the last verses of two of their hymns/songs.

I am a stickler for time and the Chorale’s prompt start to their shows, added to their general professionalism, apparent dedication and love for what they are doing and for maintaining the high standard that we have come to expect from them will always appeal to me. They have long discarded this notion of Vincentian or West Indian time. I must say that our artistes have become more conscious of this and although it still continues, it is not as bad as it used to be. I remember last year going to one of the Carnival Tents and long after the show was scheduled to start, asking a member of the cast about the time we can expect the show to start. He indicated to me that they were ready but were not going to start without their patrons. So, the problem is quite often members of the audience who live by the code anything goes.

The programme “Our God for All Seasons” was dedicated to former Choral member, Noll Patterson, who left us in 2013. The name and venue will automatically have indicated the type of show that was to be presented. As I had written about the Chorale some time ago, it is like old wine, the taste grows better with age. It is always good to see some of the old faces and to listen to them. At the same time they have been nurturing the young ones, giving them the exposure to ensure its continuation.

The quality of the Chorale’s performances is well known, hence the presence always of devout fans, who always get what they came to expect. Despite the limitations of the church it was really vintage Chorale. Solos by Roxanne Dalrymple and Addison Stoddard, stood out. Sean Sutherland’s piano solos, ‘My Tribute’ (Andre Crouch) and Chopin’s Prelude N0. 16 showed Sean at his best, particularly with his rendition of Prelude No. 16. The Chorale has blended beautifully the old voices with the not so old and young. Jeanne Horne has continued to be a splendid replacement for founding father, Pat Prescod. Her energy and dedication in performing her role as Conductor helps to lift the Chorale a notch or two. Donna Clarke and Calma Balcombe’s work with the young voices of the Dynamic Chorale augurs well for the future. There is always the evergreen Clifford Edwards who we are told assumes the role of the Chorale’s ‘anchor’. The trumpet solo, ‘Because He Lives’ by guest artiste Linton Squires, was something of an addition and fitted in appropriately with the rest of the programme.

I was impressed with the smoothness with which the programme flowed, the only real delay having to do with their accommodation to the space for performing at the church. They kicked things off with the popular ‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’(J.S Bach). One item that seemed to have generated tremendous applause was ‘Bright Soul’, a Jamaican Revival Song, arranged by Noel Dexter who we would remember teamed up with Pat Prescod to give us ‘The Right Hand of God’.

The Show ended with the singing of ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’, with the audience allowed to involve themselves in singing the final verse as they also did with the hymn ‘Come Christians Join to Sing’. The faces of patrons as they vacated the Methodist Church expressed satisfaction with how they spent the two hours.

• Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian