Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
The University Singers performing in March at the University Chapel, Mona campus. - NORMAN GRINDLEY /DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
AT 49 years old, the University Singers remain a young spry choir with a 2006 repertoire that cavorts between classical, spirituals, gospel and reggae. The choir is currently playing at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, University of the West Indies, Mona. The 2006 season continues through to early July.
The choir is directed by Noel Dexter, who has helped it to maintain a standard of excellence, while having a diversified repertoire. Dexter's greatest gift to the choir, however, is probably his encouragement of additional talents so that the choir can benefit not only from his mastery, but also from the differing musical views of its members.
As such, over the years, the choir has featured compositions and arrangements which is probably responsible for it retaining its vitality over the years. Furthermore, along with crossing genres, the show provides a good mixture of romance, social commentary and comedy.
THE RENDITIONS
The show, on Saturday, got off to an ecstatic start with Glorious is Thy Name followed by a Laudate Dominium, Alleluia and the delightful duet, The Joys of Love. The spirituals segment featured a fabulous rendition of Dry Bones arranged by L. Gearheart. The arrangement used percussive instruments to represent each bone so that the melody was seemingly punctu-ated by knocking bones before culminating in a crescendo of sound, which simulated happy bones giggling.
Interestingly, over the years, the reggae segment has been slowly making its way into what used to be classical and spiritual territory of the performance, now beginning before the second half of the show. The reggae segment in this year's show achieves
various levels of success and was taken from various eras in reggae history.
The first reggae instalment was a Garnet Silk medley arranged by Djenne Greaves. Greaves arrangements featured heavily in this year's season. A good rendition of songs from Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley's repertoire, arranged by Greaves and Ewan Simpson was also included. The segment included good renditions of Road to Zion, It Was Written, Welcome to Jamrock and Justice. Interestingly, the songs were performed with just a little too much sugar coating to have their full effect, but were nonetheless well rendered musically.
SECOND HALF
The second half of the show featured a combination of reggae and folk starting with a suite of songs by Dexter from the National Pantomime. These included the witty well-delivered pieces One Ting Lead to Another (Ellan Edwards - soloist) and The Warning Song (Toni-Ann Baker - soloist).
Music from the Pantomime made a second appearance with songs from Mandeyah which included a hilarious 'cameo' of the Prime Minister as the represented politician, making the rendition more aptly titled Womandeyah.
Female issues were also targeted in the segment dubbed No More Drama featuring arrangements by Greaves and Katherine Brown of Girlie Girlie, Me Ain' Fighting For No Man, and On Man Woman.
The male oriented segment was dubbed Gossip and Losing Time which featured the men of the group performing Just Friend and the hilarious, The Lost Watch by The Kingston Trio. Both pieces were arranged by Greaves.
The show ended with the rockers medley dubbed Chune In. It was an apt end to the show which is more than worth 'chuning' in to.
