Our perception of right and wrong, what is and what should be is reasoned on one level of human understanding, but pales in comparison when a power greater than ourselves intervenes into the affairs of men, bringing with it true enlightenment into our life.

As finite creatures that we are, there comes a time when we must acknowledge that a greater power exists well beyond our comprehension and most times our understanding.

What is this power, why does it exist and how does it affect us?
Did God create us to live life the way it is today or not?

If the answer to this question is yes, then we must ask what kind of God is this.
On the other hand however, if not, what could have possibly gone wrong?

We may never find the answer to these questions… yet again… maybe we already have.

Get ready for an Epic Theatrical Event Unlike Anything You Have Ever Seen Before!

The National Sinfonia Orchestra (NSO) will open its seventh season of performances with Liam Teague, steelpan soloist. The upcoming concert, conducted by Music Director Jessel Murray, will be under the patronage of His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards and will be held on Sunday, 15th August, at Queen’s Hall at 6 p.m. The production, in collaboration with members of the National Steel Symphony Orchestra (playing the "G" pans) will feature a mixture of traditional favourites and new pieces.

Liam Teague is well known the world over as one of the premier performers on steelpan. Hailed as the “Paganini of the Steelpan”, Mr.  Teague currently serves as the Head of Steelpan Studies and is Associate Professor of Music at Northern Illinois University, USA. He is particularly well noted for his championing of traditional music for the steelpan as well as for newer works. Teague’s commitment to demonstrating the great musical possibilities of the Steelpan has taken him to Europe, Asia, North and Central America, Australia and the Caribbean, and he has appeared as featured soloist with many distinguished ensembles including the Czech National Symphony, Saint Louis Symphony, Panama National Symphony, and the University of Wisconsin – Madison Marching Band.  He will premier the concerto for steelpan and orchestra ‘From Here to Eternity’ by Ben Wahlund which was the prizewinning entry in the Methanex ‘Symphony and Steel’ competition.

 The concert will also feature the premiere of Jit Samaroo’s arrangement of Kitchener’s ‘Pan in A Minor’ orchestrated by Gary Gibson for symphonic orchestra with the inclusion of steelpans. In the opening concert of the sixth season the NSO thrilled the audience with a similar treatment of Kitchener’s ‘Rainorama’ and they hope to do the same with the ‘Pan in A Minor’. Jeremy Chatoor, the principal flautist of the orchestra, will also perform Mozart’s famous Concerto for Flute and Orchestra in D Major.

Through its six seasons of quarterly concerts, the University of the West Indies affiliated NSO, conducted by Jessel Murray, has become a hallmark on the local music scene. The ensemble has performed concertos by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Greig and Gershwin‘s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ and presented complete performances of symphonies such the Beethoven’s Fifth and Schubert’s Fifth, and many tone poems including last year’s performances  of ‘Marche Slave’ and ‘Night on Bald Mountain’. In December, 2009, the Orchestra, with the UWI Arts Chorale, presented Trinidad’s first full orchestral performance of Bernstein’s ‘Chichester Psalms’ and in February partnered with the same group to raise $28,000 for the victims of the Haitian earthquake. Most recently, the orchestra provided the music for Must Come See Production’s ‘Aida’ at Queen’s Hall.

Tickets, reasonably priced at $150 are available at the Queen’s Hall Box Office (621-5102), Joyce E. Ali and Company Ltd. (624-3037) and Sanch Electronix (663-1384).

For more information please call 683-6405.

‘Romanza – Ballad’ is a production of the Classical Music Development Foundation of Trinidad & Tobago as a gift for the 48th Anniversary of Indpendence.  The concept was conceived in the fertile imagination of  Musical Director, June Nathaniel, Trinidad’s foremost voice trainer and principal of the Key Academy of Music.  

‘Romanza’ will feature talented soprano, Rahel Moore, a graduate of Manhattan School of Music and currently a Masters candidate at Royal College of Music, London, along with lead soloists of Marionettes Chorale and Music Festival winners from the Key Academy of Music :  Fritz Nothnagel-Gurley, Jackie Smith, Lesley Lewis-Alleyne, Naette Lee, Ashleigh Mahabir, Marsha Woodley, Marlon De Bique, Christian Joel, Garfield Washington, Raymond Edwards and Nigel Floyd.  The program will contain scenes from classical greats, operettas, along with memorable film scores and exciting contemporary songs. 

The Cascade Festival Ballet of the Bentley Potter School of Dance, will perform dance sequences to complement the scenes developed in Romanza - Ballad.   The scenes will be directed by Helmer Hilwig, with Stage Décor and Costuming designed by Kathryn Chan

Musical accompaniment will be provided by Dr. Jeff Middleton, Pianist;  Stephanie Matthews, Violinist;  Gregory Wong-Fo-Sue, Keyboardist;  Barry Ferreira and David Cockburn, Guitarists.


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  CLASSICAL MUSIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

To encourage and nurture excellence in present
and future generations of classical artistes

21st August @ 7pm
22nd August @ 6pm

Early Bird Tickets (before July 31st 2010)  - $140.00 & $180.00
After August 1st 2010 - $150.00 & $200.00