ENLARGED, laminated newspaper clippings, a few awards and a screen presentation told the story of the Signal Hill Alumni Choir’s (SHAC’s) journey during an exhibition at the Scarborough Library, Tobago, on July 3.
The event was part of a year-long celebration to commemorate the group’s 40th anniversary – a milestone that has cemented its status as one of the country’s leading cultural institutions.
The celebration, titled 2064: A Musical Odyssey, began last November with a Yuletide concert, titled Christmas Again: Songs We Still Sing, at UWI, St Augustine.
This was followed by a thanksgiving service at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex in March and a sports and family day at the Buccoo Integrated Facility on June 1.
The choir has several other activities planned for the coming months.
These include four concerts, three of which are being held in Trinidad, one at the Naparima Bowl, San Fernando (September 21), and two at Central Bank Auditorium, Port of Spain (September 28 and 29). The final show will be held in Tobago on October 6 at the Shaw Park Complex.
Tickets for the Tobago concert will be out soon.
Speaking at the exhibition, John Arnold, the choir’s co-founder and musical director, reflected on the 40th anniversary’s theme, which, essentially, is about succession planning and longevity.
“We are looking into the future. We are looking at the possibilities. We are forward thinking. It is about what we would like to be and what we would like to do within the next few years,” he told the audience, which included Dr Charleston Thomas, technical adviser in the THA Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation, former THA assemblyman Kwesi Des Vignes and and several of the choir’s vocalists and musicians.
Arnold, who was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (gold) for culture and the arts at the 2011 national awards, said the group has had a great run over the past four decades.
“We have toured several countries and we have managed to keep all of our members, those who are here with us, together. We have been able to impact the lives of others.”
He said the SHAC also has been able to influence the work of other choirs in the country.
[caption id="attachment_1094734" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A member of the choir views one of the displays at the exhibition. -[/caption]
But Arnold, an accomplished musician, said the choir’s success did not come easy.
“It has been something else. Despite everything else that fails, we have been able to stay the course and we are still here.”
He admitted, though, that the exhibition, refreshed his memory about several of the choir’s past experiences.
“I have been here 40 years and I have re-learnt some things and I am reading things I can’t even remember.”
Arnold said the choir, which performs several genres of music, has developed its own choral identity and memory over the years.
Its style, he said, has resonated with audiences all over the world.
Arnold said throughout its journey, Dr Eastlyn Mc Kenzie has perhaps been the choir’s
