By Tanya Batson-Savage, Staff Reporter
The Emmanuel Mass Choir and The Portmore Vision Choir raise the roof with praise.
- Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer
ALTON ELLIS and Leroy Sibbles put the crowning notes on a wonderful start to the 'Reliving The Glory' concert series held at the Ward Theatre, Downtown Kingston, on Sunday evening.
ALTON ELLIS and Leroy Sibbles put the crowning notes on a wonderful start to the 'Reliving The Glory' concert series held at the Ward Theatre, Downtown Kingston, on Sunday evening. The Reliving the Glory series is a part of the Ward Theatre Foundation's fund-raising efforts to restore The Ward. The inaugural concert featured a stirring pepperpot of performances including jazz, drama, and gospel.
When Alton Ellis came to the stage toward the end of the evening, he was met with joyous shouts and applause. Before his entry, the show was already hurtling towards its climax, he simply brought it home. Ellis' performance was heightened by the return of Bunny and Scully.
The duo had performed just prior to Ellis. With hits such as Let The Good Times Roll they brought back the 'Boogie Woogie' feeling as it used to be during the Vere John's Opportunity Hour. The Vere John talent search concerts, responsible for giving exposure to much of Jamaica's talent, started in 1939 and included The Ward, Carib and Palace Gaeity in the theatre stages on which it took place. Bunny and Scully's performance on Sunday brought shouts for more from the audience.
Fab Five's performance was probably what sent the evening hurtling into overdrive. The band had the audience singing, clapping and sometimes dancing along, as they went through all the phases of Jamaican popular music, ranging from the 1950s to 2003.
The exciting medley of songs they performed included Carry Go Bring Come, Wear You To the Ball, Greetings, Bogle, and Overcome. During the ska segment of their performance, the band, to the delight of the audience, was suddenly joined by three dancers.
Fae Ellington, who had been doing a great job of entertaining the audience as the evening's host, was the first to make her way to the stage. She was soon joined by roots theatre icon Ralph Holness, who had earlier performed Sweetheart with Andrea Milton. The appearance of Larry Watson who ran on and proceeded to do
a half split, took the dancing to
a higher level and the crowd
with him.
GLORIOUS START
Not only popular music ruled the evening, however. The Emmanuel Mass Choir and The Portmore Vision Choir had earlier combined voices to give a glorious start to the evening, almost raising the theatre's roof with their powerful renditions of He Kept Me and Ride On King Jesus. Their performance was a great way to send the theatre on its journey toward former glory.
The Jamaica Big Band, led by Sonny Bradshaw and featuring Myrna Hague, gave the audience got a taste of what is to be had at The Jamaica Ocho Rios Jazz Festival in June. The band started their performance with a blast of horns as they gave a great rendition of the ska tune Rucumbine. The mood was then quieted with Myrna Hague's arrival on the stage. Sheathed in a dazzling dress, Hague delivered a husky, aptly titled rendition of Unforgetable. The band then went back to ska with Confuscious.
Classical music and ballet also had their turn on the stage. Cecil Cooper and Lucette Cargill brought the former with an excerpt from The Student Prince. Cooper then did a moving solo performance of Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say) from Jesus Christ Superstar.
This performance was followed by the first contribution of The Movements Dance Company with Kimberly Ho and Lazaro Caballero's rendition of Sleeping Beauty. The company would later return with a creative dance piece, Pressure, which was performed to the dub poetry of Oku Onura.
Although the National Pantomime broke its tradition of opening at The Ward this year, the 2003 production Miss Annie, made its appearance on the stage with the hilarious songs I Love Money and Shocking, Shocking.
The audience was also treated to an excerpt of The Trial of One Short-sighted Black Woman vs. Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae the winner of 2002 Actor Boy Award for 'Best Production'. Aided by members of The University Singers, Louis Marriott also presented a bit of Bedward. A glimpse of Trevor Rhone's autobiographical work, Bellas Gate Boy featuring Alwyn Scott, was also presented.
An excerpt of Freedom performed by ASHE was also included in the dramatic segment. The segment was completed by a moving, mythical, magical rendition of James Weldon Johnson's Creation.
The evening culminated with Leroy Sibbles performance, which included a wide range of hits from Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On to Bob Marley's One Love.
