Love, Healing and Comfort Gospel Concert held in Fancy

Fancy was once again the centre of national attention last Sunday, when the Pan Against Crime committee joined forces with the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, the National Commission on Crime Prevention and the Vincentian Association of Artists, Writers and Producers (VAAWP) for a “Love, Healing and Comfort Gospel Concert” at the Fancy Hard Court.{{more}}

On this occasion, the event was held to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the Pan Against Crime initiative, as well as to mark 40 days since seven students from the village perished in an area known as Rock Gutter, just outside Owia, on January 12.

The youngsters died when the minibus they were travelling in crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after departing from Fancy.

Sunday’s concert saw family members, friends, and even the parents of the deceased taking the stage to pay stirring and emotional homage to their loved ones, in music and song.

Those performing from the village and surrounding communities included the Georgetown, Sandy Bay and Fancy Police Youth Clubs, various community church groups, Jewel Cordice, St Clair Lewis, Maxwell “Tajoe” Francis, and Glorydine Hoyte, the mother of Annique Alexander, one of the deceased students.

Making the journey to comfort the bereaved community were members of the Scotiabank South East Steel Orchestra, La Gracia Dancers, Rodney Small, the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force Band, Dexter Bacchus, and the Voices of Praise choir, members of the Prime Minister’s office, who formed a group and recorded an album following the Rock Gutter tragedy.

Commissioner of Police Michael Charles, who was listed to address the gathering, also performed a song in tribute to the children.

Organizers of the event René Baptiste of the VAAWP and Assistant Superintendent of Police Jonathan Nicholls said that it was their intention to show the communities that the lost children were still in the thoughts and prayers of all involved.

Baptiste said that the performances by VAAWP were the least that members of her organization could do for the still hurting community, while Nicholls added that the event was part of the police’s tribute to the students and survivors.

Also speaking at the function were area representative Montgomery Daniel and Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who thanked the various groups for hosting the event and reiterated their commitment to supporting in any way possible the grieving families.

Songs performed at Sunday’s gospel concert ranged from compositions created to commemorate the Rock Gutter tragedy, to popular, well-known renditions.

The highly appreciative audience joined in song and dance with a number of the deliveries, especially by Small, who did a medley of traditional ‘sankies’, as well as the Voices of Praise choir, the Scotiabank South East Steel Orchestra and the Police Band.