Awesome Haringey rocks Negril
published:
Sunday | July 6, 2008
Adrian Frater, News Editor
Former mayor of the borough of Haringey in London, England, and Hall of Fame jazz musician Shiek Thompson (right) and Peter Wilkinson, the trainer of the 105-piece Haringey Symphony Orchestra, Big Band and Jazz Ensemble, dazzle patrons at Tuesday's concert at the Norman Manley Beach Park in Negril. - Adrian Frater/Staff Photographer
Western Bureau:
Big band music ruled supreme in Negril, Westmoreland, on Tuesday afternoon when the 105-piece Symphony Orchestra, Big Band and Jazz Ensemble from the borough of Haringey in London, England, took patrons on a fantastic musical journey at the Norman Manley Beach Park.
The multi-talented group of musicians, ranging in ages from 11 to 19 years old, which is the guest of the Negril Education Environment Trust (NEET), was all the rage for just over 90 minutes as they blended wind, brass and string instruments to stunning effect.
Performing in two segments, the young musicians, drawn from various schools in the borough of Haringey, first had the symphony orchestra onstage. They quickly connected with the audience as the sounds of violin, cello, flute, trombone, double bass and drums ruled supreme.
appreciative audience
As the youngsters unleashed their version of Pirates of the Caribbean, followed by the Norwegian classics, Morning and In the Hold of the Mountain King, the appreciative audience all but interrupted their performance as delighted screams of joy echoed around the park.
The already high tempo soared even more when the South African violinist Samson Diamond, who was recruited from his school in Soweto four years ago, gave a mind-blowing rendition of a piece entitled Czartz, which was incredibly beautiful in energy, appeal and delivery.
Not even a brief shower of rain could move the awestruck audience as the instrumental invasion became even more pronounced with selections such as, A Night in the Mountain, which featured pulsating drum, bass and flute; and Dead Man's Chest, taken from the popular Pirates of the Caribbean movie and spiked with a generous infusion of reggae.
If segment one with the symphony orchestra was on top of the world, then segment two, with the Jazz Big Band, was simply out of this world. It was a cloud-nine-like experience for the audience, as instruments blended with such feeling that several patrons could not resist dancing up a storm.
dizzying heights
With expert delivery of classy selections, such as, Both Sides of the Track, Alligator Bugaloo and Blues for John, behind them, the entertainment reached dizzying heights when the youngsters challenged and conquered the South African national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel Afrika, and the Jamaican jazz classic, Bridge View, which left no doubt about their mastery of the various instruments.
After a silky smooth rendition of yet another South African classic, the love song entitled, Sonia, the biggest moment of the concert, arrived when celebrated jazz master, the Jamaican born Sheik Thompson, the former mayor of Haringey, took the stage with his famous saxophone.
With the young musicians offering him superb support on their instruments, the former mayor, who was instrumental in bringing the Haringey youngsters to Jamaica, showed why he was recently inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame as he reeled off Watermelon Man to deafening applause and then further delighted with his crisp dance moves.
Asked to deliver an encore, Thompson had the audience jamming even more as he unleashed a superb rendition of Chicken, which lasted for almost five minutes as the audience danced with wild abandon. Rousing cheers of appreciation erupted when the performance finally ended.
(Back, left to right) Dave Scott, chairman of the Manning's and Haringey Link-up Committee; Sheik Gerald Thompson, councillor and former mayor of the London borough of Haringey, England; Sonny Bradshaw, legendary jazz musician; Roy Smith, vice-president, Manning's Past Students' Association, Western Chapter; saxophonist Jonny Edis, drummer Jaron Brandy and Kevin Campbell, public relations officer, Mannings High School. (Front, left to right) Pianist Joshua Cohen, bassist Jonny Wickham, Wezi Elliott and music teacher Sue Stephens. The group came together as part of the Haringey Young Musicians cultural exchange with Mannning's High School in Westmoreland, organised by the former mayor and members of the Manning's Past Students' Association. As part of the exchange, they made a courtesy call on Bradshaw at his East Kings House Road residence, last Monday.- Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
