UWI pans glisten

Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer

Bolstered by several costume changes and high-energy performances, the University of the West Indies (UWI) Panoriddim Steel Orchestra's Panfest 2013 was a tapestry of innovation and creativity.

The third of the four-day panfest was held last Saturday at the Philip Sherlock Centre on the UWI, Mona campus.

Armed with 23 instruments, the orchestra treated the audience to a wide cross section of musical genres, all creatively arranged. The cross section included Latin, jazz, calypso and reggae.

The concert will also be remembered for the group's innovative use of numbers, as well as the announcement of the pieces.

According to Raisha Lovindeer, the orchestra's spokesperson for the 2013 concert, there was a decision to have a countdown of the 10 commandments of pan. This decision was to make its way into the title of the concert - When the Pan Strikes 10.

Different genre

In reinforcing the concept, the show was divided into segments, each highlighting a different genre of music "and we played different songs to represent the genre, and we had different costumes to represent the genre and the period."

What Lovindeer did not say, however, was that prior to the performance of each piece, some background information was provided on each selection.

Orane Shaw (There was no MC, just narrators) explained that the calypso selection, for instance, was written as tribute to Brian Lara's success with his bat in 1996, thus it - the fourth act - was called 4 Lara.

For act number five, titled Take 5, the versatile group replaced their white pants with costumes to reflect a David Brubeck jazz composition.

Before the players returned to the stage for act number seven, The Magnificent 7, the title track of a Western movie, Rashelle Muir, another narrator said "the number seven is special to us," There are seven distinct sections: tenor, double tenor, double second, guitar, cello, bass and the engine.

And after providing more information on the selection, the members of the orchestra, now dressed in costumes like characters of a Western movie, gave a magnificent performance. Lights and props were also used to intensify the mood of the selection.

The sounds of mambo were next.

Again, the piece was well delivered.

But, while, without doubt, the sounds from the various pans, of different sizes and sheen, were captivating, there is no musical instrument like the voice.

The organisers of panfest seemed to agree and so the Portmore Chorale members were called on to lend their voices.

The group was one of two special guests on the programme, the other being percussionist Krispercs.

Taking time out of rehearsals for its upcoming season and Atlanta tour, the chorale opened an act, which included nine medleys, dubbed Symphony No. 9, Ode to Joy with This Little Light of Mine, and closed with a Ludwig van Beethoven composition.

The now robed orchestra members picked up the music, showing that their versatility on the only musical instrument to be invented in the 20th century knows no bounds.

Finally, it was act number 10, and what a finale it was.

Aptly tilted The 10 Command-ments of Pan, it was carnival.

Lively beats, attention-grabbing costumes, and great energy from the musicians had the audience screaming for an encore, and the group obliged.