THE EDITOR: The just about ending of "pan season," coinciding with Carnival, brought out such tremendously high-class performances at varying age groups – from junior to large bands. The activities saw, additionally, a level of community/school collaboration. Notable was the tremendous interaction of pan orchestras and their support to the schools at both primary and secondary levels.
The collaboration went even further with combined institutions as we saw in Naparima Combined, the facilities of the panyard being accessible to the young players, showing an integration of community schools.
Among these were Republic Exodus and St Augustine Girls High School, Caribbean Skiffle Bunch with Naparima Combined, St Gabriel's and San Fernando Boys Government.
This is so beneficial, as we pursue the new cultural transformation in education as a most useful extension and diversification of our curriculum, catering as intended for the skills or academia of all our children being seen in their cultural capacity and competence, not confined to traditional interpretation or definition of academia.
Relative to results, we noted perennial winners of Junior Panorama, St Margaret's Boys Anglican, returning to winners' row, having been interrupted by the emerged and admired Guaico Presbyterian with a hat-trick over the past three years, and placing second this year, as bright stars.
There have been repeated references to the panyard activities and benefits. President Christine Kangaloo, Archbishop Jason Gordon and others see tremendous value in the panyard, now becoming something to be pursued and achieved as a programme of more than achievement of excellence.
Pan Trinbago's president is quoted as saying she is looking forward to exciting things upcoming. She needs full support here.
The media will do well to duly advertise the programmes conducted there. Truth be told, we suffer from prejudice going back to the days of Sparrow's calypso:
If you sister talk to a steelband man,
Your family want to break she hand,
Put she out, lick out every teeth in she mouth,
Pass, you outcast.
How much has this changed to the commitment, camaraderie, dedication, discipline, teamwork now achieved in our steel orchestras. Today we have pannists seen as aspirations of the young, from pan in the classroom to graduating to prestigious orchestras. The fact of a performance by up to 100 players in harmony must be seen as more than pursuit, but as an achievement of excellence.
It's time for a "meet the panyard tour" to be considered. We will learn a lot and be pleasantly surprised.
Let us seek to advance the great benefits beyond tradition or prejudice. Of note too (just a reminder), pan is our invention, the only musical instrument of the 20th century and is recognised by the United Nations as worthy of a World Steelpan Day.
Opportunity for development and further enhancement should not be lost.
LENNOX SIRJUESINGH
retired principal
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