THE EDITOR, Madam:
RECENTLY I witnessed one of the rudest exhibitions of disrespect for the nation, its people and national institutions by persons from whom we should least expect such behaviour.
My wife and I attended an Evening of Classical Music at the University of the West Indies Chapel under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency the Governor-General, Sir Howard Cooke and Lady Cooke. The performance was due to begin at 5 p.m. A few minutes after five o'clock it was announced that the Governor-General would be a bit late, and we were asked for our understanding. Much to my surprise the audience erupted in agitated slow handclapping and murmurs of angry disapproval.
This subsided for several minutes and then the clapping started again, more insistent this time, with a greater show of annoyance. The artistes took the stage, and Mr. Orret Rhoden, the pianist, opened the concert with a vigorous rendition of "God Save the Queen." Some in the audience exploded in hearty applause, even shouting for an encore.
I thought that Mr. Rhoden had either made a mistake, forgetting that there is a Jamaican National Anthem, or that the anthem would follow immediately after. I was wrong. I, for one, respectfully gave the Governor-General the benefit of the doubt, accepting that he could have been detained for any number of justifiable reasons. Even if one were offended the audience displayed such a contempt for the office of Head of State, to say nothing of the holder for whom I have the highest personal regard that it left me dismayed and angry.
I had visions of crowd behaviour at our more popular musical and sporting festivities, to say nothing of vulgar placard-bearing demonstrations on TV, at home and abroad. By playing God Save the Queen, instead of the Jamaican national anthem, Mr. Rhoden showed disrespect for the nation and its people. Audience approval was a bitter but sobering reminder of the low esteem in which those who should know better hold this country. Certainly, this must also be self-contempt. If this is the attitude, how can these people be a part of the solution when they are so fundamentally a large part of the problem?
My wife and I left at the start of the concert. We could not enjoy an event that in our minds at least was so sullied by such coarse insensitivity.
Out of courtesy the organisers ought to apologise for the insult.
I am, etc.,
H. ANDERSON,
8 Edgecombe Avenue,
Kingston 6
EDITOR'S NOTE -
Spokesmen for Kings House said Their Excellencies had agreed to be patrons of the concert but had given no commitment to attend.
