BASSETERRE St. Kitts - THOSE attending the Gospel Concert of Immaculate Conception Co-Cathedral on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at the ECCB’s Sir Cecil Jacob’s Auditorium were in for a treat.
It was not a concert to just listen to. It was one in which you had to participate. It was a concert in which your spirit and body were encouraged to join in and respond to the messages pelted out by the energetic singers especially by international singers ValLimar and Frank Jansen.and Tom and Mary Carol Kendzia.
Even before the international singers came on stage, our local artists surely did us proud. Larry Vaughan’s deep baritone was rich and bold and expressive, both with the National Anthem and with his vocal interpretation of the well known hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’. He is now exhibiting a range of tones that makes him eligible for any international stage.
Nigel Brown’s rendering of ‘Jesus, You’re the Center’ was done with great feeling and passion and was well received by the audience.
At the start of the programme, the tone was set by the very disciplined and coordinated ICC Youth Choir. Their piece ‘If I Tell the Lord My Problems’ was spirited and rhythmic, and they took us right into an evangelical atmosphere with their joyful movements and clapping.
Mellie Hewlett, on the steel pans, brought his usual soothing rocking rhythms, but when he released ‘Chikita’ of ABBA fame from the silver, well-tuned drums, no one could keep still and many could be heard singing along in uninvited accompaniment.
Masud Sadiki was all over the stage, jumping and dancing as he sang. His performance was so free and effervescent that it was difficult to believe that he was really a shy person – as he confessed during the rendition of one his two songs –‘Count Your Blessings’ and ‘Love For Me Mama”.
All praise must also go to the back- up singers and the accompanying bands who really synchronised with the artistes.
Totally unaccompanied were the Windsor University Christian Students Choir consisting of Nigerian students who brought us a beautiful medley of African songs. The five females and one male displayed the beautiful blending of soulful voices which seem so unique to singers from the African mainland.
The second half of the programme was devoted to the featured singers of ValLimar and Frank Jansen.and Tom and Mary Carol Kendzia. It is obvious that they made the power of their voices translate to the power of the message they brought. They interspersed their songs with appropriate introductions so that by the time the songs were rendered, one could not escape the message it brought. In this way a song like ‘Come by here’ (Cumbyah as it is often called) became a prayer of supplication.
What made their performances particularly unique was the encouragement by the singers to make the audience participate thereby making the show interactive. So the audience at times would ‘sway and clap’, raise hands, call and respond, and wave hands in an arc as is often done in other highly participatory musical functions.
In these many ways, the spirit of revival filled the Hall and indeed the medium of highly energized voices became the ‘message’
It moved the MC, Leon Bullen, to conclude rightly at the close of the programme – “God’s Spirit is with us tonight.”
The ICC Youth Choir ended the Concert appropriately with ‘Peace, Perfect Peace’ at the Grand Finale and after that the visiting singers sent us meaningfully on our way with “This Little Light of Mine” . After all that we did not escape the admonition that we should “let our lights shine”.
Thanks to all who worked behind the scenes in making this a great gospel experience. We hope that the proceeds in aid of Church Renovation will be more than adequate. God Bless.
