Winners give special performances at Queen's Hall as Music Festival ends

FANS got a last taste of the 2024 TT Music Festival on Saturday at the junior grand finale at Queen's Hall, St Ann's, with the senior grand finale due on Sunday.

The modest crowd, including former first lady Zalayhar Hassanali and Senator Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing, was treated to ten performances and saw the distribution of trophies and cups to winners of last week's national championships held at that venue and at Naparima Bowl, San Fernando.

Guests were also treated to a question-and-answer session where TT Music Festival Association chairman Wendy Jeremie (followed by members of the public) posed questions to the adjudicators – Dr Richard Tang Yuk, Nadine Gonzales, Lenor Syder, Withnold Green and Nubia Williams.

Kicking off the performances, Josiah Ferrier offered Gifts, the song with which he had won the boy's best solo.

Gianna Griffith was soothing, reflective and spiritual as she sang If There Were Dreams To Sell by John Ireland, with which she had won best girl's solo.

Klavier Simpson from Tobago gave a rumbustious delivery of the Jamaican song, Linstead Market, for which she had won best junior folk solo.

Tobago's Jayda George was soulful and worshipful singing Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Crocker, Houston and Ligthelm, for best junior contemporary religious solo.

Golden Hands steel orchestra was simply indescribable as they played The Impossible Dream from the musical, The Man from La Mancha, as the best junior pan ensemble, their moods ranging from softness to tumultuousness, so incredibly!

The boys and girls, some quite small, from Maria Regina Grade School, won applause as best primary school choir, singing The Chimpanzee.

Aiden Ramsumair, who was later awarded a trophy almost as big as himself, gave a skilled performance of Ghosts of the Mist, as the best piano solo.

Tasmin-Jade King played Capriccio on violin skilfully and smoothly, as if whisking away listeners to a central European village in times of tumult, as best junior string solo.

Fatima College youths were captivating, by the frenzy of their lighter lead drum and its other drums, plus the thunder of their bass drum, as the best drumming ensemble.

About 20 trophies/cups were presented.

Klavier Simpson and Nadira Shangie were best vocal duet. The top vocal soloist was Gianna Griffith. The best junior vocalist was Jayda George. The best classical/contemporary choir was Naparima Girls High School. Tobago's Bishop's High School won best junior folk choir plus best junior choir.

Aidan Ramsumair won three awards – best piano solo, best piano performance, and most promising performer.

Tasmin-Jade King was awarded the best junior string solo. Alexi Chang Kit was the best junior wind solo.

Jeremy Green was deemed the best steelpan solo plus the best junior instrumental solo.

The Golden Hands Steel Orchestra won best instrumental ensemble and best instrumental performance.

The Spirit of the Festival award went to Mekayla Celestine and Kaeden Hull.