Georgina Wilcox

In celebration of the Older Persons Month the Cayman Islands Folk Singers put on a magnificent concert at the Harquail Theatre, Grand Cayman on Tuesday 22^nd October.

Before an almost full house this free concert was worthy of a $30 admission price at the very least.

Lorna Bush, Manager of the Folk Singers, gave the welcome, performed Music From the Seas including an excerpt from Natasha Kozaily’s Thesis for a Degree in Ethnomusicology (focusing on the music of Julia Hydes), and at the end of the programme told the audience the history and work of the musical folk group. She also gave the vote of thanks to the many people who contributed to the success of the evening with acknowledgements especially to the Cayman Islands Government and Cayman Airways.

After the singing of the Cayman National Song the programme continued with a traditional Cayman quadrille performed most beautifully by the George Town Primary School Students, followed by Eden Hurlston’s Food From the Sea and the Soil, and Letter to Lavinia Lee by Eziethamae Bodden. Eden Hurlston came back to read Derek Walcott’s poem “After the Storm”.

The rest of the evening belonged to the Cayman Islands Folk Singers under the title of “Traditional Songs from the Cayman Islands: Our Islands Past: Volume III” (published by the Cayman Islands National Archive).

The numbers in order sung were:

The Limestone Schoolhouse by the Sea

The Song of the Yam

Conch Na’ Ga’ No bone

Chip-up Potato

Munzie’s Boat

Southeast by South

Cardile Gone to Cuba

And finally with the audience joining in “Come Back Home” with words and music written by Steve McTaggart.

COME BACK HOME

Words & Music by Steve McTaggart

I can see the willows waving on your southern shores As the breeze gently whispers thought the trees

And the song I hear you singing floats across to distant shores And it seems to say my child come back to me

Come back home

Come back home, to your Islands

For I long to see you walk upon my sand For my shores they belong to my children And my children belong to Grand Cayman

Repeat

I can smell the salty air upon your harbour

As the North West winds they blow across your sea

And I see the foaming whitecaps as they break against your shores’ Like a distant drum I hear them call to me

Come back home

Come back home, to your Islands

For long to see you walk upon my sand For my shores they belong to my children And my children belong to Grand Cayman

Repeat

And although a distant sea has come between us

And I’ve been to many ports and many lands

I can see your West Bay beaches with its shiny coral sand

And my heart it longs for you oh Grand Cayman

© Steve McTaggart

The Musical Director was Robin Tayman, and the Choreographer was Lorna Reid.

The show was a Cayman National Cultural Foundation production with Henry Muttoo as Artistic Director.

After the performance that received a deserved standing ovation food and drinks were served.

Many congratulations to everyone concerned with the production of this show.