Paula Lindo – Our histories, stories, present, future.

“We want to celebrate the contribution made by Desmond Waithe, not only to the Marionettes Chorales and the nation, as well as share our experience of singing in Carnegie Hall.”

The BP Marionettes Chorales’ musical director Gretta Taylor made the statement as she spoke about the group’s upcoming concert, Forward Home, which takes place at Queen’s Hall on September 14 and 15.

Waithe is currently the Musical Director of the BP Renegades, and also served in that capacity with Exodus’ Exocubs. He has enjoyed several successes with both orchestras at various music festivals in T&T, France, Austria and more recently, Germany. He also taught for over 10 years in the Music Department of the University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT). In 1993, he was awarded the Humming Bird Medal (silver) for Outstanding Contribution to Music in Trinidad & Tobago.

Waithe first arranged a piece for the Chorale in 1979 when they commissioned him to adapt his celebrated steelband arrangement of Sparrow’s “Slave” for the choir, resulting in “Fantasia on the Slave.” He said he is pleased to have so many pieces of his work performed in this special concert. “It is really an honour that Marionettes could decide after 40 years to do this and showcase the things I’ve done. I’m thankful that I’m alive to hear all the things, and there’s one thing that I’ve always said, which is that I am thankful for the choir for doing the things that I write, because I’ve written things for other people and they couldn’t sing it, but Marionettes has always been able to do it, so it’s a nice feeling. They are doing a variety of genres, including Fantasia on the Slave, which is very attractive and has that kind of classical feel, there’s calypso, there’s the kind of light pop like Morena Osha and so on. I do whatever the Lord tells me to do and wherever I’m moved, I do it.” The choir will perform, among others, Waithe’s arrangements of Andre Tanker’s Sayamanda and Morena Osha; Ken ‘Professor’ Philmore’s Pan by Storm; Lord Nelson’s King Liar; Ella Andall’s Rhythm of a People; local and regional folk music like John Boulay, Evening Time (Jamaica), Salguiero (Brazil) and La Porrinden, from the French-speaking Caribbean.

Taylor said the choir was celebrating the long and fruitful association with Waithe. “He’s toured and sung with us internationally, England, Scotland, the US, and he’s arranged over 50 pieces for us, folk, Christmas, calypso, parang. So we’re very indebted to him, and we’re paying tribute to him because I don’t think people appreciate the kind of talent he has but I certainly do. There’s nothing I’ve asked him to do that he’s let me down and he’s always done it.”

Taylor said the concert is also an opportunity to share the work which the group performed at Carnegie Hall as part of the premiere of composer Christopher Tin’s Calling All Dawns, a classical crossover album released in 2009, which won two Grammy awards for Best Classical Crossover Album and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for the song “Baba Yetu”.  The work showcases diverse languages, musical styles and traditions from around the world, including opera, Portuguese fado, African choral music, Maori haka chanting, Indian classical and more. The choir was approached to participate in the Carnegie Hall premiere after posting a video of their rendition of Baba Yetu on YouTube in 2018.

Taylor said, “We were very excited when we realised they were serious and began practising in January for the June 9 concert. We were one of several international mass choirs, including ones from Germany, Hawaii, France, Switzerland and the US, along with professional soloists. It was quite an experience, we had long rehearsals, and the production was very professional and smooth, and then suddenly we were back in T&T, pinching ourselves. We were very proud to have been invited, as opposed to applying as other choirs did. We also shared some of our folk songs with the choirs there and they were well-received. So we’ll be sharing that experience during the first half of the concert.” 

“Forward Home” featuring the BP Marionettes Chorales will take place for two nights only on September 14 and 15 at Queen’s Hall. Showtime is at 7.30 pm on Saturday and Sunday at 5 pm. Tickets cost $200 and $250 reserved. Special discounts are available. For more information, contact orders@marionetteschorale.com, go to http://www.marionetteschorale.com, find them on Facebook and call 790-1751.