Our golden gift fromGod – ‘Birch’ Kelman

THE EDITOR: In the year of our 25th anniversary, 2018, Golden Hands Steel Orchestra suffered a major loss in the passing of the person who not only assisted me in founding this unique institution of ours but is responsible for the high technical standard of steel pan performance – Dane “Rosco” Hinds.

On the day of his funeral we received the disheartening news that our tuner and patron, Bertrand “Birch” Kelman, was undergoing a major surgical procedure in the US.

Kelman has been our tuner since 2000. We were one of a very few bands that rallied around and supported him during his critical year-long recovery.

Even during that period, he still mustered his strength, through sheer will power and faith in the Most High, and tuned our pans for our 2019 Panorama performance.

We were truly High On D' Music as the rendition of this Vanessa Headley original composition earned us third place. Of course the marks we received for tone were the usual high ones that Kelman’s work has always earned bands here and abroad. Bands that have continually won Panorama because of their sheer power and tone owe him their debt.

In December 2019, we entered Panorama with pans that he had tuned since January 2019. He had made arrangements for other tuners to help us because he would not have returned in time. Golden Hands made the decision to go with our instruments as they were because a Birch pan can hold its tone under pressure.

We did not abandon our friend and “famalay” member at one of his lowest points. In the past he had been there for us through the loss of his only brother, and two years later the loss of his 28-year-old daughter.

What commitment to our national instrument!

His work didn’t fail us in this 2019-2020 Panorama. The judges’ marks for tone were two nines and two tens and helped to place us first in the prelims.

We won this Panorama for you Birch!

Yes won. Sixth place out of a field of 57 with the history-making arranger Vanessa Headley, the first female to arrange for all three categories of the conventional Panorama: Small Bands – Golden Hands; Medium Bands – Trinidad Valley Harps; Large Bands – La Brea Nightingales.

Won? Yes, with the Golden Hands Ensemble of children 5-22, our future and inheritors of our steel pan legacy.

Won? Yes, because we were the only south-central band to reach the finals.

But most of all, won, because we gave glory to the Most High and certainly changed our environment in so doing.

We celebrate with all of our brothers and sisters in steel pan. But most of all we celebrate the awesome gift from God that is Bertrand “Birch” Kelman.

FRANKA HILLS-HEADLEY

president and founder

Golden Hands