Portmore Chorale celebrates 40 years
Published:Sunday | February 23, 2025 | 12:05 AMKeisha Hill - Senior Gleaner Writer
THE MOST beautiful musical sounds, with varying accents, pure and angelic ripped through the night sky, as the Portmore Chorale, celebrating 40 years, mesmerised and entertained their audience at the Portmore Methodist Church, in Portmore, St Catherine.
The Portmore Chorale began 40 years ago, after a choir festival in Portmore. Auditions were held in the summer and by September 1985, under the leadership of founding director, Delroy Williams, and accompanied on piano by Karen Henry, the group came together and have been thrilling audiences ever since.
“It is my love for God and music that led me to start the group,” Williams said. “When we started, I did not anticipate how long we would go. It is through faith and those that have committed themselves, that we have been able to celebrate 40 years,” he said.
The Portmore Chorale is an interdenominational singing group based in Portmore, which has performed all over Jamaica and in the eastern Caribbean on several occasions.
According to Henry, she was apart of the group for the first 30 years, but stepped away for a few years as she worked in Belgium. However, upon her return she has been actively ensuring that the group continues to maintain its position as perhaps one of the leading chorales in Jamaica.
“We are committed to the mission from the onset. The close bonds that we have created have held us together. It has been a joy watching the group grow. We continue to incorporate different genres of music, including gospel, contemporary, folk songs and revival. We have at least nine active churches represented in the group; and our current memberships stands at 16,” Henry said.
The 40th anniversary celebrations was held under the theme, '40 Years: Our Journey of Faith’. Mayor of Portmore, Leon Thomas, in extending congratulations to the Portmore Chorale, said their achievements here and abroad continues to inspire residents to live and work together in brotherhood and peace.
“The chorale’s members comprise different denominations affirming the ‘Out of Many One People’ motto, coming together for God’s Kingdom. It is one of those unique groupings that has grown with and contributed much to the holistic music ministry to the different communities and the municipality of Portmore,” Thomas said.
Meanwhile, keynote speaker, Elder Donovan Beersingh, from the Portmore Missionary Church, said another 40 years is possible for the group, through faith, and God’s ability to provide.
“We have come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord. If we had not kept our eyes on Jesus, we would not have 40 years to look back on. We have to continue to trust God by faith in order to move on. The second 40 years should be easier, so keep going,” Beersingh said.
The Christian life, he said, is likened to a race. “When things are tough, we face many trails and want to give up or give in. When we face temptations, failure and the race feels difficult or overwhelming, we want to give in; but to run a good race, we have to trust God as faith produces visible evidence,” he added.
The Portmore Chorale has two concert seasons each year, in July and December. Their Christmas programme in particular, often features children's groups: singers, dancers and musicians. The chorale has a vast repertoire, spanning the classics, contemporary gospel, spirituals and West Indian folk, as it seeks to offer something for everyone.