Upbeat musical arrangements, creative costumes and sophisticated choreography were the hallmarks of Republic Bank and the Love Movement's presentation of A Gift of Love at Adam Smith Square, Woodbrook, on Decmber 1.
The concert was Republic Bank's Christmas gift to the people, and featured excerpts from the Love Movement's recent 40th anniversary production, A Journey of Love, staged at Queen's Hall last month.
The Love Movement comprises three different and outstanding choral groups founded and run by one person, Bernadette Laughlin Scott. They are the Lights of Love Children's Choir, Youth Outreach Chorale, and Senior Choir.
On a large stage, decorated to suit the occasion, the Youth Outreach Chorale opened the programme doing its highly entertaining, upbeat, hip-hop song-and-dance medley from the movie Make a Joyful Noise. The senior choir then took the audience down memory lane with its medley of music from the 70s, inclusive of She's A Lady, Precious and Few, All By Myself, Reunited, and You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.
The Lights of Love Children's Choir then offered a Celebrity Christmas with all the enthusiasm and energy that can be found only in the very young. Its repertoire included perennial favourites Frosty The Snowman, Rudolph
The Red-nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bells. The youngsters were warmly applauded for the effort which, according to Scott, entailed a mere six rehearsals.
Christmas Joy, from the Youth Outreach, included one of the evening's highlights-Do You Hear What I Hear, vocalized by soloist Marsha Caballero. Written in October 1962, with lyrics by Noel Regeny and music by Gloria Shayne, as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the work was given a modern twist to its musical structure and vocal phrasing that could challenge the efforts of the hundreds of artistes who have performed cover versions.
Another memorable moment was when parents of the youth groups joined their children on stage to render Light A Candle. Their pride in being able to share in their children's achievements, and the children's obvious happiness to sing alongside their parents was a powerful statement of the Love Movement's purpose.
However, The Love Movement is seeking a home to call its own, a space where their rehearsals won't become a bother to residents. Scott made an appeal to anyone willing to help the non-profit organisation, dedicated to "healing hearts and changing lives one note at a time," to make a pledge by using the credit card system provided for on the occasion by Republic Bank, or through regular channels.
"I am making a plea to anyone with vacant land around Port-of-Spain to come to our assistance in this our 40th anniversary year," she said. The Love Movement has grown from a 15-member women's choir in 1972 to a mixed senior choir, a youth outreach programme and a children's' choir, now with a combined total of 180 members.