A two-hour pan music presentation at Monday's 29th Biennial T&T Music Festival at Queen's Hall, St Ann's, has music adjudicator Dr John Paul Johnson convinced that he made the right choice in accepting the invitation to preside over this year's event.
He's today persuaded that this country's music-making potential is rich. "What I saw today... if that is any indication of what it's like here in T&T, is phenomenal. It's some of the best music development skills I have seen anywhere that I've been around the world," Johnson said, after witnessing 18 contestants in Class 32 Steelpan Solo–Finals, featuring contestants 12 and under." He added: "What I saw overall was great musicianship being developed. Students are learning how to play phrases and learning how to play accurately–really, trying to play in the style that the composer had in mind.
"The good thing about this for the most part is that nearly all of the students were able to read music to do what they do. Most of them are very good with both mallets. "It's lent to them even being able to play more musically than I had suspected." Each competitor had the freedom to select a tune of choice that helped to ensure that the day's musical outpouring was diverse.
The audience heard 15 music items that included the music of Rossini and Mozart, but most interestingly the late local musician Winnifred Atwell. While the pan music showcase was dominated by female contestants, the boys in this class were responsible for turning on and sustaining the musical heat. Asked about the repertoire presented, Johnson replied: "It was amazing. Each competitor, I'm assuming, along with their teachers chose that literature and they were very strong choices for them. "I thought the choices of classical music are so challenging and so difficult for them and it really builds their skills."
Eighteen junior pannists placed their musical stamp during performances in Class 32 Steelpan Solo–Finals, but it was Elijah Lee's delivery of an excerpt from Rossini's William Tell Overture, that won favour with Johnson with a score of 98.
Results
?1. Elijah Lee, 98
2. Nicholas Navarro, 97
2. Luke Walker, 97
3. Shenelle George, 96
3. Nathaniel Alexander, 96