Renewed call to knight Prescod

A call has once again been sounded for founder of the New Kingstown Chorale, Patrick E. Prescod to be knighted.

Delivering the sermon at the 50th anniversary thanksgiving ceremony at the St. George’s Cathedral, Kingstown on Wednesday April 19, local preacher in the Methodist Church, Monty Maule noted that several columnists from various newspapers including the Searchlight’s, Bassy Alexander have consistently been writing for medical practitioner Dr. Cecil Cyrus and most notably, virtuoso Prescod to be more prominently recognized.{{more}}

Praising Prescod for his work with the half-a-century old Chorale, Maule described Prescod’s work as a labour of love and expressed hope to see the choir re-named the P.E.P Kingstown Chorale or the Patrick E. Prescod Kingstown Chorale.

Maule congratulated the Chorale for reaching what he described as the “height of greatness” by worshiping God through song and music. He noted that humans had the chief responsibility to glorify God, not in a sterile and ritualistic manner, but with wholehearted thanksgiving.

The church leader pointed out that God had a strong appreciation for sounds, hence the reason why creation was made up of music, whether it was chirping birds, the roar of storms or the ocean splashing against the shore.

He credited the chorale for its discipline of singing many types of songs through the various Vincentian eras which he noted spanned from statehood to independence.

Maule preached that while many other ethnic groups like the Jews, stopped singing during their period of enslavement, Black people continued to sing and even invented other types of music.

He noted that because of their determination to never stop singing, the world today has Negro Spirituals, Jazz, Blues, Calypso, Reggae and Soca among other types of music.

The New Kingstown Chorale thanksgiving service was held under the theme, “Fifty Years by God’s Grace: Rejoice, Give Thanks and Sing.”

Minister of Culture, Rene Baptiste also had high commendations for the Chorale and called on upcoming artistes to use the group as a model of how hard work and discipline could reap success. Baptiste described Patrick Prescod and the Chorale as National Treasures and encouraged the musical group to continue their passion for music.

The evening of thanksgiving was punctuated with scripture readings, the singing of Hymns and presentations to the Chorale and its founder Patrick E. Prescod.

With musical accompaniment in drums, piano and the steel pan by the Rhythmix Steel Orchestra, the evening’s mini-concert by the harmonious Chorale was a musical treat for all present.