American music adjudicators presiding over the 29th Biennial T&T Music Festival, taking place at venues across the country, have put in a request with event co-ordinator Marie-Diane Dupres to visit the panyard of BP Renegades Steel Orchestra. It seems they still can't get over the impressive panmanship they heard from the nine-time National Panorama champion at Sunday's gala opening, held at Queen's Hall in St Ann's, Port-of-Spain. They want to know how Renegades, led by Everald "Redman" Watson, achieved such silky presentations of Frederic Chopin's works when some of the world's leading musicians aren't able to capture the intent of the composer. Desmond Waithe is Renegades' classical director. Dr John Paul Johnson, from Wichita State University, Dr Jan Harrington and Dr Carmen Helena Pellez, both of Indiana University, expressed delight over the band's deliveries at the gala.
Grande Valse Brillante, Op 18, Etude in E Major, Op 10 No 3 and Polonaise In A Flat Major, Op 53 were the Chopin items performed on pan.
The foreign adjudicators believe that experiencing Renegades' music-making process first hand will help them understand the steelpan–the national musical instrument of T&T. Dupres promised to work on facilitating the request, despite the adjudicators' tight schedule.
On opening night, Renegades also provided music accompaniment for lyric baritone Marvin Smith, with his scintillating delivery of the African American spiritual O! What A Beautiful City, as well as dramatic soprano Anne Fridal, who redefined musical suspense with her treatment of Habanera, from the opera Carmen from Georges Bizet. Dr Johnson said: "The three of us talked about how we wished pianists would hear this group (Renegades) play the Chopin (music) that they play and how they accompanied so well too. It's a beautiful performance."
Music educator and festival honoree Joslynne Sealey, right, has the attention of foreign adjudicators Dr John Paul Johnson, of Wichita State University and Dr Carmen Helena Pellez and Dr Jan Harrington, of Indiana State University.
Dr Pellez pointed to the variation in colour and subtlety of articulation and phrasing that was possible with Renegades musicianship on the night. "I was extremely impressed. We have just started a programme in steelpan at Indiana University and I will mention this presentation to the chair of the percussion department so he gets more informed about the particular work here. He already knows, but it would be fantastic to have the director (of Renegades) come visit us and teach a workshop." Her colleague Dr Harrington, also from Indiana University, expressed excitement going into the Festival following his Renegades experience and said: "I will be very interested to see how the younger players develop, what is the process of them coming to the level of expertise and musicianship that we heard." Mungal Patasar and Pantar; Robert Munro and Friends; and, mezzo soprano Michelle Dowrich completed the cast which entertained President George Maxwell Richards and Dr Jean Ramjohn Richards, festival chairman Dr Dorrell Phillip; honoree Joslynne Sealey; Her Excellency Ambassador Joan Yuille-Williams; sponsor representatives and scores of music aficionados.
In declaring the festival open, President Richards said: "The festival committee has ensured that discipline must not only be evident in the use of voice or instrument. No matter how superb the rendition, half a minute beyond the time allotted will cost the careless contestant.
"This is nothing new, but it serves as a reminder to all of us that discipline is necessary for success. Yes, we may have great talent, be it in voice or the playing of instruments, but this attention to detail is greatly to be applauded as, very often, in the issues of life, it is in the detail that we can win or lose." Gauging the festival's positive impact on T&T, at a time when the country needed respite from all that assails us "from many different angles," he believed that those committing themselves to make music will not do so lightly. "We cannot risk mediocrity if we are to establish ourselves as people who truly understand the power of the music. And let us have no doubt in our minds about the place of music in our societies. Music certainly has the power to transform, if we get it right."
BP Renegades pannist Aaron "Tin Pin" Franklin, left, Levi Jones and reigning Steelband Music Festival soloist Michia Felician are focused on the band's classical director Desmond Waithe.