The Cayman Islands Male Voice Choir sets the tone for Easter

By Georgina Wilcox

The Cayman Islands Male Voice Choir presented “An Easter Concert” on Good Friday at Elmslie Memorial Church on Harbour Drive in George Town.

The Good Friday concert has been a staple diet for many years now and it sets the tone for the Glorious Resurrection Day of Easter Sunday.

There was a very good audience in attendance. My estimation was the church was about three quarters full and Radio Cayman carried the performance live. I hope most of you who could not be there at the church tuned in.

The choir sang their hearts out and there were also two guest performances, one from young Aidan Conolly who sang the Natalie Grant worship hit “Your Great Name”, and McCleary Frederick who played the harmonica (actually two) on “He Grew The Tree”. McCleary also accompanied McDorm Frederick in a harmonica duet on “The Old Rugged Cross”.

There were many solo performances throughout the evening that included Crosby Walton (my standout piece – his voice was soft, sweet and full of emotion), Colson Daniels, Rudy Myles,and Kenneth Melville. The latter also performed his unusual saw playing that must have sounded very strange to the radio audience. Instead of a violin Melville uses the bow to play a carpenter’s saw that he bends to achieve the notes.

The congregation was invited to sing along with the choir “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Beneath the Cross of Jesus”.

The final song was listed as “O To See the Dawn” which is the opening line to the real title “The Power of the Cross”. The Stuart Townend, Keith and Kristyn Getty moving modern song has quickly become a firm favourite all over the world. Both the words and music are not only beautiful but meaningful and a better choice to finish with I cannot find. The choir did full justice to this wonderful work.

The choir was conducted I believe for the first time by Nicholas Godfrey and he rose to the occasion.

I must not forget to mention the excellent musicians who accompanied the performers, Denver Bloomfield on organ and Antonio Sanchez on Grand Piano. Sanchez also performed a solo on a stirring Spanish piece whose name escapes me. Sanchez did tell me but I didn’t write it down and even if I had tried the Spanish spelling would have eluded me.

Well done Cayman Islands Male Voice Choir. You gave us just the right tone to welcome in Easter.