The Commonwealth Resounds! in Trinidad and Tobago for CHOGM 2009
The World’s First Commonwealth Pianorama
Alison Cox and a group of international pianists decided to see whether they could commission one-minute piano pieces from composers living and working in the 53 (now 54) Commonwealth countries. The event was created specially for CHOGM 2009 in Trinidad, and was named ‘Pianorama’ as a pun on the well-known steel pan festival ‘Panorama’. Click here to read the first chapter in the story of this fascinating project, which is still continuing to grow and make an impact!
A Musical Learning Journey to Mayaro
A bus full of talented musicians and Commonwealth Resounds! personnel from South Africa, Barbados, Ghana, Guyana, Brazil, Uganda, the UK and Trinidad set off from Port-of-Spain and travelled across the beautiful Trinidad countryside to Mayaro on a wonderfully inspiring Musical Learning Journey. The experience was unforgettable not only for the participants themselves, but also for all those who encountered them en route.
Click here for a full account of the trip.
Music Education Resounds!
Every member of The Commonwealth Resounds! team was involved in a dynamic, inspiring educational programme, running throughout the week in Trinidad’s schools, community centres and universities. The whole schedule was carefully organised by the Trinidad Government, the Trinidad and Tobago Entertainment Company and Kamla Ramparsad de Silva. Read in this report how Music Education Resounds! created many new partnerships and enabled international musicians to make friends, share skills and learn from one another.
Trinidad’s Gala performance
Sixty international musicians from The Commonwealth Resounds! were treated to a wonderful celebration of Trinibagonian music, dance, food and drink on Wednesday 25th November 2009. The international team of musicians were enormously impressed and delighted by the talent, energy and professionalism of the performers from Trinidad and there wasn’t a dull moment during the whole evening. Read about Trinidad’s Gala Performance here.
The Commonwealth Resounds! Matinee and Gala Performance
Towards the end of an exhilarating week of projects, events, masterclasses and workshops, The Commonwealth Resounds! musicians were all transported to the Naparima Bowl in San Fernando, to demonstrate highlights and examples of their work during the week in a Matinee and Gala Performance. The audiences of schoolchildren and members of the community were treated to a spectacle of dynamism, colour and energy from the visiting team of brilliant international performers.
The Commonwealth Resounds in Tobago
Hannah Grayson, a talented young professional flautist was one of the musicians who participated in the first-ever Commonwealth Resounds! programme in Malta (November 2005). She re-joined the project as a key member of the Trinidad team in 2009, and was one of eight lucky musicians who ran a wonderful two-day community workshop in Tobago. Hannah wrote about her experiences in this fascinating report ‘The Commonwealth Resounds in Tobago’.
Tobago’s Commonwealth Blast!
The group leader for the Tobago project was Peter Harvey. He worked with seven students, five of whom were members of an enterprising brass quintet called Triumph Brass. The other two were conservatoire students Joe Richards and Hannah Grayson. Peter first joined The Commonwealth Resounds! in Uganda (November 2007) where he and other Commonwealth brass players achieved some amazing results with the Mbale and M-Lisada brass bands. Tobago’s Commonwealth Blast is Peter’s own account of the masterclasses and performances run by the musicians visting Tobago.
A Harp for CHOGM!
The first-ever Commonwealth Resounds! programmes in Malta featured the 15-year old Anglo-Maltese harpist Cecilia Sultana de Maria. Four years later, Cecilia desperately wanted to join the Trinidad team, but there was one major problem…how to transport her harp from London to Trinidad! Read her story, A Harp for CHOGM and find out what happened!
The Commonwealth Chorale
Theresa Goble, a distinguished vocal tutor from Guildhall School of Music and Drama and her highly enterprising student Beth Lynch worked closely with expert choral trainers and schoolchildren in Trinidad and with celebrated professional singers Kareen Clarke, Bla Kla Soyl from Barbados and Daryl Bobb from Dominica.
The singers collaborated together in some highly enjoyable workshops and then gave a dazzling performance of the songs they learned together in The Commonwealth Resounds! final Gala Performance at the Naparima Bowl in San Fernando.
Eugene Skeef’s Cultural Kitchen
The Cultural Kitchen was a unique, educational and enjoyable way for musicians to relax, meet one another and improvise together in a supportive informal environment on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship during The Commonwealth Resounds!
Kit Downes collaborated with the cruise ship’s staff and organised the whole event carefully whilst Eugene was out working with young musicians in the Trinidad community. Delicious snacks and drinks were prepared by the ship’s excellent caterers, and Kit prepared an attractive welcoming space in the ship for musicians to improvise together.
The evening was an unforgettable one for everyone who took part and for those who heard them, and sampled the tasty snacks, representing the cultural cuisine from different Commonwealth countries. For many musicians involved in The Commonwealth Resounds! this lovely Cultural Kitchen was one of the musical highlights of their whole trip.