Last Friday (20) at the beautiful St. George’s Anglican Church, the Cayman Arts Festival (CAF) staged a Family Christmas Concert.

The concert featured the award winning celloist, the talented teenager, Dequan Smith, with the youthful CAF Elite String Ensemble.

The hour long concert included well known and less known carols and music that was a delight for all of us there that Friday morning.

Although Dequan was the featured soloist there were many other solo pieces from the young and even younger members of the multi talented Elite String Ensemble.

Although the concert was well attended it should have been packed to capacity. Especially as it was FREE!

Dequan certainly showed his mastery of the cello playing three very difficult pieces effortlessly that brought a gasps from the audience. There was much applause and cries of “wow”.

Dequan is studying in England at one of the top music schools and is sponsored by the Cayman Islands Government. It is money not wasted judged by what we listened to at this concert.

Full marks to Fran McConvey, one of the teachers of the Elite String Ensemble, who accompanied the musicians on the piano.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who took part.

And, a very Happy Christmas to all of you.