By Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE ONLY weapon in sight at the Police Officers Club, Hope Road, St. Andrew, on Saturday night was the sidearm of a policeman handling parking arrangements.
Neither was he wearing a protective vest, as the lawmen and women lay down their burdens and took up sword and buckler for Jesus at 'Cops in Praise'.
They gave it up for the Lord in varied ways, from the country and western of Percival Budham to the children's songs and actions of Corporal Gayle. With Superintendent Samuels of the St. Andrew South Division bringing humour belying his tough job to the MC's role, the first half of the long programme was sprinkled with laughter.
Community relations were not a problem, as civilians worked hand in hand with the police in praising the Lord. Kirk Wright took over MC duties after the intermission, while Edwin Myers and Theophilus Brown chipped in with their substantial contributions.
From the solo performance of Ms. Lynch to the melodious mass approach of the Dove Chorale, variety of numbers was also the order of the evening, but the purpose and, by and large, the response of the fair-sized audience were the same, praise.
SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL
There was something very special in the delivery of How I Love Calling Your Name by a female-led ensemble, so special, in fact, that Superintendent Samuels was moved to exhort the audience to stand up. "I feel it man! Fire! Like the Day of Pentecost! Don't care how yu cold yuh have to move! Fire!" he said, as the audience stood and cheered wildly.
The performers had built up to the climax beautifully, setting the stage with Jesus Is Everywhere over a heavy reggae rhythm laid down by the band.
The Reflectors brought their own musicians and put them to good use, a female lead starting out with praises to 'precious Jesus sweet rose of Sharon'. Where the previous lady's voice was piercing hers was soothing and the audience reacted accordingly. A switch to a male lead for He'll Pick You Up confirmed that The Reflectors are firmly and effectively on the soothing side.
A rib-tickling interchange between Corporal Gayle and Superintendent turned MC Samuels got the audience not only laughing, but also singing along. The MC joshed Gayle about hurrying along with his performance, until Gayle asked him to take a seat beside him. More humour followed, until Gayle got the MC, and everybody else, to follow him in the child-oriented song that started with fingers and thumbs keep moving and ended up with tongue-poking, standing, sitting, head-nodding and much more.
Corporal Gayle returned the MC to his corner perch and proceeded to sing beautifully, ending with an a-capella version of Great Is My Faithfulness that put his baritone to tremendous effect.
Miss Lynch had to wait a bit for the band, but when they got going she did justice to What More Do You Want Him To Do and He Touched Me.
Ishmael Williams from the ISCF also toted his musicians along and put on a very good showing, including a slow, rousing rendition of Because He Lives.
Miss Pinky Kim's introduction brought laughter, but her opening line of I want to be more than an ordinary servant on a sweet reggae rhythm, and the band 'pulling up' elicited howls of praise. Theophilus Brown, who introduced himself as being "Brown by name, black in colour, slim in body and fat in love," pleaded musically for the Lord's help with violence and crime, before doing a series of choruses.
His Difficult Time scored heavily and easily.
With Kirk Wright taking over MC duties after the intermission the five man strong Original Melokeys had the unenviable task of tearing the audience away from jerked chicken and soup.
However, with an a capella start of No Man Is An Island, moving on to Lay Down My Burdens, their harmonies, octave changes and interpretations of the melody did the job nicely.
The Dove Chorale came on with the energy and enthusiasm of youth, the many members dressed in yellow tops and jeans, a male lead singer setting off into I've Got My Mind Made Up and Born Again on a heavy reggae rhythm. I Am Under The Rock and Jesus Name So Sweet followed in rapid succession, to get the audience rocking.
They 'lifted their hands in the sanctuary' en masse, one young lady rocking to the front. She came down to the front of the audience to 'conduct' them in singing Praises To The King.
Percival Budham's country and western style, helped along by the introduction of an acoustic guitar in the band, hit the spot in reggae land. They clapped along spontaneously as he asked Does Anybody Love Jesus and, when he hit a series of choruses, dancing was the order of the night.
The medley began and ended with I'll Fly Away, one woman hoisting a plastic chair in the air as she grooved along in her seat.
Edwin Myers also sang a medley of choruses, this time more in ska style, touching on By The Rivers of Babylon, A Little More Oil and Wings of A Dove, before getting the audience to stand and dip along with the song about Lahman.
It was not the traditional walking and jogging scene at the Police Officers Club, but there was certainly a lot of exercise in praise at 'Cops in Praise' on Saturday night.
