C'bean youth orchestra to debut on Carifesta stage

A Caribbean Youth Orchestra (CYO) is give a groundbreaking performance before the opening segment of the TT Carifesta country night on Friday.

The CYO has been in rehearsals since Monday at the Murchison Brown Auditorium, City Hall, Port of Spain ahead of Friday’s performance.

The orchestra comprises over 125 young musicians from Belize, Cayman Islands, St Lucia, St Kitts, St Vincent, Grenada, Guyana, Turks and Caicos Islands and TT's music schools, all under 25.

Ian Clarke, steelband liaison officer in the Culture Division of the Ministry of Community Development Culture and the Arts, told Newsday both the local and foreign students are enthusiastic and excited.

Though the CYO started practising together from Monday, the music was sent to their territories some ten weeks ago.

The orchestra will be playing string, woodwind, brass, pan and traditional East Indian instruments like the harmonium, tabla and dholak.

The two pieces selected for their grand performance are local compositions – A Cry for Freedom, by Akua Leith, artistic director, National Symphony Steel Orchestra,and Music Matters, by Vanessa Headley, musical director of Golden Hands.

Leith will conduct the CYO.