Sharing Musical Skills: Antigua and Barbuda!
2025Returning to Antigua for our fourth visit, our dedicated team of composers, musicians, educators, join with the prodigious talents of the young musicians of Antigua & Barbuda, St Kitts & Nevis and Montserrat to develop young composers and shine a light on the musical tapestry of the islands.
Through days of workshops, rehearsals, and awe-inspiring concerts, we aim to learn about the potential of the island’s young musicians, nurture their compositional abilities, and together we will celebrate, the richness of Antiguan and Barbudan cultures.
The TCR team
Gabriel
Composer / Jazz Trumpet
Ka Youn
Composition
Reuben
Composition
Jamie
Tuba
Rosemary Ball
Saxophone
Lily Hesper-Dugdale
Clarinet
Sam
Double Bass
Alison
Composition
Ellen Wilkinson
Oboe
Lucy Rowan
Flute
Find out what is going on...
Kindly supported by
The Government of Antigua & Barbuda
The Government of Montserrat
The Government of Saint Kitts & Nevis
Commonwealth Youth Programme
Royal College of Music
Royal Academy of Music
ABRSM
PlayOn
Cambridge University
Jolly Beach Resort
Sir Vivien Richards Stadium
Lucy Eddi's Bar & Restaurant
The Holywood Trust
Specialised Travel Ltd
John Sweeny Foundation
Jim & Iris Gibbons
Bernie Irish
Joel Silcott
Steve & Steph
Jerleen John
Anonymous donors
Photos
The team land in Antigua Airport
Our evening sunsets are pretty stunning
Rosemary and Lily perform a new work specially composed by Ka Koun for ABS radio and TV
Lily experiences the magnificent Sir Vivien Richards Stadium for the first time from the press gallery
Her Excellency, Karen-May Hill, High Commissioner of Antigua and Barbuda welcomes everyone to the first ever pan Caribbean Composition Course!
The team get together for an early breakfast meeting to plan and prepare their week's activities.
The jazz students with Reuben and Rosie the tutors
The Governor General, Sir Rodney Williams, addresses the incredible young composers at the end of the first ever Composition Concert in the Caribbean.
The Montserrat musicians
Lily & Rosemary performing on Antigua Barbuda today
The Wind and Brass composition group perform to the team
Alison Cox before her interview on Antigua Barbuda Today
Ka Youn introduces herself and the film composition course.
The team join together to perform with ABYSO
Reuben Bance (TCR), Calynia Edwards and Herman Francis interviewed on Observer Radio
The Jazz musicians in action. Developing a deep sense of rhythm to start the course
Reuben shows off his Korean drum
Ka Youn with one of her students from the first Composition concert in the Caribbean
The TCR musicians outside the TV studios
Alison, Herman & Calynia interviewed on ABS Radio
The class of 2024! The commonwealth resounds team are all together for the closing of the course
Peter, Ellen, Lily and Rosemary prepare for the Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra (ABYSO) Concert at the American University of Antigua
The film group showcase their graphic scores and discuss ideas for their music.
Students are supported and work together with our musicians to create new music they are proud of.
The Jazz team preparing for the concert on stage at Lucky Eddie's
Venelle shared an amazing fruit called a Soursop with the visitors. It certainly is rather sour, but delicious at the same time!
Kahn Cordice demonstrating Steel Pan and how to arrange and compose for Steel pan
Bursting at the seems for Kahn Cordice's masterclass and Pan Demonstration
The Jazz course present music for everyone to hear what they had been looking at today
The Sir Vivien Richards Stadium looking incredible under the Antiguan sunshine.
Ka Youn and Ellen preparing for their TV and Radio interviews
The film course present one of their works to the whole group
Reuben outlines his requirements for the music and spoken word course.
English Harbour on the tour of Antigua
The wind and brass composition team ask the students to demonstrate their instruments and explain the techniques to make different sounds.
Micah introduces his composition which was performed by professional musicians at Lucky Eddi's in English Harbour, Antigua.
The team enjoying the view from Shirley Heights over English harbour
Our students started to play their pieces and record them for the film music. Here one of our double basses started to put together some tunes.
Sir Vivien Richards Cricket ground where the course is taking place
Ellen and Reuben put the finishing touches onto the resources for their course
The Film group exploring Ka Youn's latest creation
The team from Montserrat and St Kitts & Nevis
The Film group prepare a graphic score in groups as an icebreaker activity.
The team leaving Gatwick airport ready for their adventure in Antigua
The wind ensemble share their creative works with Lily performing the newly composed music
Gabriel leads a jazz workshop looking at how rhythm can be used and cross rhythms created!
The Film group met up with John Hamilton MBE, Resident British Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, Charley Williams MBE, Deputy Head of Mission to Barbados and Non-Resident High Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Her Excellency Karen-Mae Hill OBE, High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda to the United Kingdom and member of the Commonwealth's Board of Governors.
Students performing a sample of their music alongside their films for everyone to hear what has been achieved.
Lucy and Lily recorded some of Composer Ka Youn's works at Jolly Beach just after a quick evening swim in the sea!
Kahn Cordice Demonstrating Steel Pan
The film group discuss how their music fits with their movie clips.
Ellen is reunited with her oboe students. She has taught them online since 2019 but only met in person twice before!
The group gather for the final time as the course drew to a close. Alison Cox MBE congratulated everyone on their achievements and outlined the plans for the next day's concert.
Calynia and Alison on Antigua Barbuda today
The fusion team have the opportunity to develop their skills in composition.
The TCR team on their tour of Antigua
Students use a variety of media to write out music and their ideas.
An Antiguan student trying out new compositions
Lily and Rosemary visit the ABS TV Studios for an early morning performance
Peter & Reuben rehearsing for the concert on stage at Lucky Eddie's
Lily and Rosemary our clarinet and saxophonist outside before the ABYSO concert
The St Kitts & Nevis team
Musicians preparing to demonstrate
Ka Youn introduces the music and film course
The Commonwealth Resounds team with their Excellencies John Hamilton MBE, Resident British Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, Charley Williams MBE, Deputy Head of Mission to Barbados and Non-Resident High Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Her Excellency Karen-Mae Hill OBE, High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda to the United Kingdom and member of the Commonwealth's Board of Governors.
Calynia, Ellen and Ka Youn on ABS Radio
The jazz workshop allowed everyone to hear the creativity of the day. Here the Jazz team share their ideas.
The Commonwealth Resounds team outside the ABS TV Studios
The fusion course presenting their music
A Caribbean Sunset at Jolly Beach
Jamie leads the instrumental composition group.
Our fusion course mixes words and music.
Students working on their films. This group have the theme of the oceans and are working on a film from the Commonwealth Blue Charter
The afternoon performance was a chance to hear the music which has been created so far.
Painted by one of the students as inspiration from the fusion course.
A film taster group explore music within film
Alison cox OBE introduces the concert, the first of its kind in the Caribbean.
Ka Youn and Reuben lead discussions around our instrumentalists and how we can use them through the week to ensure that everyone has access to a top world class musician.