Mosaic of music from UNESCO youth

My thoughts after the two-hour concert: “And who says that there is nothing good happening with the young people of our nation?” The performance from a cast of mostly teenagers, calling themselves “The St Mary’s College UNESCO Group”, had been well planned and thoroughly rehearsed. And, above all, the money was being raised for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) fund.

Darnell-Brandon Thomas, just back from competing in the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA)in Hollywood, California, where he picked up four gold medals and other trophies, was billed as director, musical director/arranger, choreographer and performer. This very confident 18-year old will enter the honours programme at York University in Ontario, in September, to study for a degree in music.

There was something for every member of the audience, and there was always an item with which you were familiar, unlike some other productions where the audience is faced with unknown and strange music.

The programme opened with “Boogie Wonderland”, a light hip hop piece from the movie Happy Feet, with soloists Sarah Jane Clark and Anton Berryman. Tahira Osborne, an outstanding Music Festival winner, held the audience spellbound with her mature rendition of “If I loved You” from the Broadway Production Carousel, and again in the second half of the concert with “Il Dolce Suono/Diva Dance” described as an “operatic/techo work of music” from the motion picture “The Fifth Element”. While the St Mary’s College Steel Orchestra had the audience moving in their seats to the beat of Darnell-Brandon Thomas’ arrangement of “Hello Africa”.

The second half of the programme started with soloists Maegan Pollonais and Carolyn Callender’s “Dance of the Robe” from the Broadway production of “Aida.” Darnell-Brandon showed how he had won WCOPA’s Grand Champion of the World Trophy (Instrumental Category) with Lord Kitchener’s “Pan in A Minor” , and his versatility singing “A Moment Like This.”.

Marlon De Bique lived up to form with “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” The curtain fell for the last

time after “Joyful Joyful” from ‘Sister Act 2 - Back In The Habit’ by soloists Carolyn Callender, Adam Talma, Justin Solomon, Tamika Ward-Lewis, Kyle Richardson, Tevin R Gall, Jean-Marc Henry and Justin Predddie..

A vote of thanks was moved by Father Ashton Pierre, a teacher at the College; and the two-hour performance ended with members of the large audience swaying out of the auditorium to a exciting performance by the entire company , of “I Believe” from the motion picture “Honey.” Other members of the cast who all deserve congratulations for an evening of great entertainment, were Aaron Rodriguez, Arielle Rostant, Bruce Jones, Cecile Browne, Christian Joel, Diane Williams, James Gittens, Jean-Marc Tardieu, Kyle Richardson, Obasi Etienne, Stephan Hernandez, Tavio Newallo-Smith, and Zarah Graham. And Instrumentalists Andrew Hadad, Udo Ibleme, Adrian Miller, Aaron Solomon, Jeremy Chatoor, Kewone Berkley, Andre Jack, Kevon Rodriguez, Rohann Maxwell and Marcus Dulgar.