NCFA Music Preliminaries Underway

Judges began the process of weighing musical performances by the Cayman Islands’ brightest young talent on Thursday 23 April 2015.

The National Children’s Festival of the Arts (NCFA) music preliminaries got underway on Thursday morning at the Church of God Walkers Road and continues at locations around the Island through Wednesday 29 April. Featured items include: instrumental and choral music, as well as performances by individuals and smaller groups.

Persons passing performance venues over the next few days will be able to hear the strains of musical standards from different eras and genres. Recent hits like “Let it Go” from the Disney cartoon Frozen appear on the programme, alongside: “Hard Knock Life” from Broadway favourite Annie, Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” and the well-known hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness”.

Triple “C”, John Gray, the Lighthouse School and Savannah Primary took the stage on Thursday. They were followed by Red Bay and George Town Primaries, Cayman Academy – Mara’s World of Music, Music & More, as well as First Baptist Christian School on Friday.

Rounding out the list of schools competing this week (Monday 27 April to Wednesday 29 April) are: Prospect Primary, Montessori by the Sea, Cayman Prep, Nicole Bodden’s Studio – St Ignatius, Sir John A. Cumber Primary, Wesleyan Christian Academy, Grace Christian Academy, Truth for Youth, East End, Edna Moyle and Bodden Town Primaries and Clifton Hunter High School.

Conductor of the National Youth Choir Ems Melland and classical guitarist Christoph Barnett, a former NCFA medal winner, adjudicated Thursday’s performances. Other adjudicators include: Welsh cellist Angharad Parkes, cellist Sebastian Poznansky, concert pianist Glen Inanga, and Government school music teachers Philip Manyeh, Janelle Tibbetts and Patricia Bent. (GIS)

Photos: GIS

1. Savannah Primary student Justin Hernandez did not let the cast on his leg hamper his performance of Road Hog.
2. One of 11 entries from the Lighthouse School, these students performed We Are the World on the first day of preliminaries.
3. Wik Wam Rock by Savannah Primary paired a flautist with a drummer.
4. Waiting for judges to return from a brief break—the Triple C School choir treated the audience to an impromptu a cappella performance.