Sixteen trophies were presented Friday as the curtains came down on the 2004 Digicel SVG Gospel Fest. The second annual National Gospel awards ceremony saw participants in the festival receiving gold, silver or bronze medals and certificates, based on their level of performance in zonal preliminaries, from among 48 nominees. {{more}}
The major winners were: In the Solo category Under-13 Alayana Dublin from the Shekinah Worship Centre, COGOP; aged 13 – 19 Keisal Peters of New Life Music Ministries and Over-19 Andre Cupid of Glad Tidings Tabernacle, Gomea.
DUETS – Elma Griffith and Nicolina Gordon were awarded for Duets, while TMS-3 of Wesleyan Holiness Campden Park and Shekinah Youth Choir of Streams of Power, Carriere were winners in the Groups and Choirs categories.
There were also prizes bands and instrumental categories given to the Visions Gospel Band and the Kingstown Methodist Instrumentalists respectively.
Winners in Dance were Patrice Bascombe of Diamond Deliverance Assembly for solo while Kevin Bascombe and Petronella King of the Glad Tidings Tabernacle, Gomea were winners for Duet.
The group dance award went to GTT Missionettes also of the Glad Tidings Tabernacle, Gomea.
This year saw awards being given for Poetry won by Esther James of the Light House Ministry with Jacintha Graham of Faith Temple Church being recognized for monologue.
The Evangelical Youth Group of the Evangelical Church, Barrouallie took the award for Chorale Speech with Friends of Spring Adventist Church taking home the award for Skits.
Patrice Bascombe of the Diamond Deliverance Assembly proved to be the top performer of the festival having earned three gold and two silver medals in five different categories during the zonal preliminaries. She was therefore the overwhelming choice for the award of Most Outstanding Performance.
Among the evening’s activities were addresses from Rene Baptiste, Minister of Tourism and Culture, who pledged government’s continuing support for the festival and indicated that artists can look forward to a bigger home for the arts with the construction of a 750-seater auditorium.
Public Relations Manager of Digicel Jerry George expressed pleasure with the staging of the festival and the encouraging signs of increased participation, but however reminded members of the media to recognize Digicel’s contribution to the festival. Fidel Taylor, Chairman of the National Gospel Festival Committee in his remarks lamented the challenges faced this year, including the circumstances that led to a change in venue for the National Showcases but indicated that the festival was here to stay.
The 2004 Digicel SVG Gospel Fest was celebrated under the theme: “Praise God in the Highest”.