Michael Reckord, Contributor

To-Isis onstage at the Kiwanis Club of Constant Spring's 'Evening of Elegance'. - Photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance reporter

The MC for the Kiwanis Club of Constant Spring's annual fund-raising concert held on Sunday made the point a number of times; the hundreds who stayed away missed an excellent show.

Staged in the Saxthorpe Methodist Church Hall, Constant Spring Road, the concert was a mix of poetry, song, instrumental music and a bit of dancing by the energetic performers. The chief organiser was the club's First Vice-President, Stephney Webb, while Teddy Laidley, an artiste manager and public relations practitioner, was the MC.

A mere 50 persons turned out for the concert which, President Jeanette Hylton pointed out, was aimed at raising funds for a number of charities, especially those helping children.

The opening act was the poetry reading by Gina Rey Forest, a published author and performance poet, who is best known for her sensual poetry. On Sunday, however, she hit out strongly at societal problems: the poor upbringing of children; the squalor, pain, hunger and abuse found in depressed communities; the neglect of those areas by politicians; and the rape of a teenage girl by 15 youths. However, her closing poem, Just for Tonight, was a love poem designed to leave a sweet taste in the mouth.

Jazzy, upbeat number

Yekengale at the Kiwanis Club of Constant Spring at their 'Evening of Elegance' held at the Saxthorpe Methodist Church on Sunday.

Keyboardist Yekengale, along with a couple of his friends, further lightened the mood with a jazzy, upbeat number. He stayed on stage to accompany one of the most versatile and delightful singers performing in the island, Velia Espeut, whose wide-ranging voice brought freshness to two standards, I Believe in You and L is For the Way.

Dressed in dark suits, the five talented youths who form the popular group To-Isis, were up next. Accompanied by the music stored on a laptop computer, they brought both sincerity and energy to their songs.

Saxophone music

The audience was then put in the mood for the saxophone with soulful playing of the Kenny G hit Forever in Love, by Nicholas Linford, accompanied by Chris McDonald (drums) and Kirk Bennett (congos). They ushered in "the master," as the MC termed Dean Fraser with both a soprano and a tenor saxophone.

Fraser was in a playful mood and he showed his mastery of his golden instruments by playing some of his pieces in different styles. Yes, Jesus Loves Me, for example, was played in a childlike as well a sophisticated manner; Bob Marley and the Wailers' Small Axe got a jazz interpretation, as did Marley's Redemption Song, while Dance With My Father was pure poignancy.

Really playful

After a short break, Espeut and Yekengale returned with a solemn I Believe Our Children Are Our Future, then the vocalist became really playful. She invited Linford and his saxophone back on to help her with Loving You Is Easy, which she sang, close up, to a couple of men in the audience.

With high energy, McDonald returned as both vocalist and keyboardist for the final act. Dancing, singing, playing, he generated lots of excitement as he performed On Broadway, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, I'm So in Love With You and, finally, Put a Little Love in Your Heart. Espeut joined vocally in the last named song, while many in the audience joined in by clapping and dancing along.

There were smiles all around as the two-and-a-half hour show ended at 9:00 p.m. on the dot.