ST Mary's College initially looked unassailable after they kicked off the under-19 junior steelband ensemble class on February 27 at the Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival at Queen's Hall, St Ann's, but top spot ultimately went to an earth-shattering bp Renegades Youth Steel Orchestra.
Ems Ensemble placed second and St Mary's third. Sterling performances came from all ensembles.
St Mary's played a rendition called Pirates of the Caribbean Medley by Klaud Badelt so vividly that it told a story of the drama and adventuring of the freebooters of yore. Indeed, their rendition made listeners feel they were following a scene-by-scene portrayal similar to the namesake movie of Capt Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) fame.
The lighter pans portrayed the gaiety and carefree swagger of a buccaneer, with a devil-may-care disdain. Then the piece evoked a mood of moving ocean waves. You could almost see a sailing ship skimming smoothly over the open sea.
But then the bass drums thundered, alerting to impending dangers ahead.
Then the tenor pans returned to the bold chanciness of the loveable rogues sauntering off to their next adventure.
All this, from 14 teenage boys using discarded old oil drums! Magic!
Next up, Mannette Academy of Music Ensemble gave a lively rendition of Can-Can by Jacques Offenbach. The six boys and six girls beat very cleanly, in a pacey piece with lots of variety within.
The 12 boys and girls of Trinity All Generations Steel then played The Planets by Gustav Holst. It included several lines that had once been extracted to form a favourite Anglican hymn, I Vow to Thee My Country.
Providence Girls' (PGCS) Steel Ensemble offered the contemporary Thinking Out Loud, by pop star Ed Sheeran. Due to the late addition of a pan, the judge asked them to start again, but during the performance at times a pan sounded somewhat off.
Providence otherwise was very soft and sweet, and very harmonious indeed, although needing a little tightening up.
BP Renegades truly lived up to their moniker of being an orchestra. They played Vivaldi's Four Seasons – Summer. While starting soft and very melodious, they then erupted into a thunderous wonderfulness. They captured all the elements of a great portrayal. They played at an impactful volume. They blended all parts of an orchestra. They skillfully mastered many intricacies in the piece, including played polished scales. Amid their breakneck pace they included many dynamics and expressions.
It was musical wizardry, truly world-class.
Ems Ensemble rendered Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely. With just four players, one initially wondered whether the arrangement was a tad too ambitious, offering tunes within tunes. At first it sounded a bit chaotic. However by the end, everything was blending beautifully, with a very harmonious rendition by the quartet.
Five Rivers Pan Ensemble did such justice to Mical Teja's road march winner, DNA, that listeners might have wondered whether the song was actually written intentionally for pan, like the songs of the late Aldwyn
