Music Festival comes to an end

THE 32nd biennial Music Festival, showboat of local talent, came to an end at Queen’s Hall on Saturday evening with vocal, steelpan and wind instrumental performances for which a host of trophies were handed out to the young and old.

As the festival came to an end, came stirring pleas by festival officials and Dr Euric Bobb of Methanol Holdings (Trinidad) Ltd __ one of the festival’s corporate partners __ for assistance for the festival which has now been running for the past 70 years.

In between the presentation of trophies, the stars came forward intermittently to thrill the audience with their talent. The sad part was that the Tobago entrants failed to show to collect their trophies.

They attended the three-week festival, competed, won a lot of trophies, but at presentation time, many were absent due to travel problems on both the sea and airbridge.

To pep up the audience for much music, there was the return of the South Steelband of Youths who played “You Raise me Up”, and another piece, “Claire de Lune.”

Prior to their performance, a few trophies were distributed.

They included for Most Outstanding Soloist (Open) won by Jordan Cato, while the Most Outstanding Steelpan Composition went to Joshua Jabari Bedeau and the Arnold Chatoor Trophy went to Anton Williams for Most Outstanding Composition.

During the presentation of other awards, Janine Charles-Farray won the TTMFA Oratorio Trophy while the Shoba Seukaran Trophy went to Patrice Richardson who was adjudged Most Outstanding Vocalist (Religious). Most Outstanding Operatic Aria went to Janine Charles-Farray. She got the George B. Wattley Trophy.

Most Outstanding Musical Theatre Soloist went to Nataki Lendor while the Edric Connor Memorial Trophy went to Jerrana Douglas for having produced the Most Outstanding Folk Song solo. Other trophies like the Jean P. Abdool Memorial Trophy went to Nataki Lendor for being adjudged Most Outstanding Vocalist.

The Mary Elizabeth Evans Cup went to the Suite Chorale for being an outstanding religious choir.

The Olive Walke Memorial Trophy went to New Dimensions Chorale; the TUCO Trophy went to the APA Folk Swingers; the Canadian Trade Commissioner’s Trophy was won by SJC Voix Riches, and the Edward Cumberbatch Trophy went to Patrice Richardson.

For his outstanding instrumental piece in the open class, Marc Mahase won the Joan Yuille Williams Trophy, while the APA Operatic Ensemble won the Pollonais Trophy, and for tthe open choir, Sic Voix Riches won the open Most Outstanding Chair class.

They alsowon the Doris Scott Ashdown Cup, the Mary Elizabeth Evans Cup, the Olive Walke Memorial Trophy, TUCO Trophy.

Meantime, the Spirit of the Festival Award was won by Holistic Music School.

They got the TTMFA Spirit of the Festival Trophy.

Other award winners included: Golden Hands Chamber Ensemble, who got the Clara Rosa de Lima Trophy, in addition to being the winners of the Most Outstanding Instrumental Performance.

Scotiabank Trinidad and Tobago Ltd was the Platinum Sponsor in the north and Methanol Holdings Trinidad Ltd, for the Festival in the south.

In addition, other supporters of the Festival included EximBank, Jones Motors Ltd., Equipment and Supply TECU Credit Union LP Marketing Pearl & Dean (Caribbean) Ltd., and Penny Savers Supermarket of Tobago.

It was explained that the Festival’s object is not to gain a prize or defeat a rival, but to pace one another on the road to excellence” according to Sir Walter Davies.

The next Music Festival is due to take place in 2020.