Speyside High School Steel Orchestra received a generous donation of 38 steelpans on Friday courtesy Iran "Duce" Anthony.
The donation was valued at around $130,000 and consisted of 11 tenor pans,18 bases, five cellos and four guitars.
Anthony is well known in the pan fraternity as one of the founders of 1978 Mt Irvine Bucconeers. He later formed his own panside in 2008, Steel Explosion, and placed second in the National Panorama medium conventional bands category. In 2010 they became the first Tobago band to win that competition. They are now referred to as NGC Bucconeers.
Anthony, who makes and tunes his own pans, chose to donate the pans in homage to Rawle Titus who has a legacy at Speyside and has contributed tirelessly to where the band is today.
[caption id="attachment_958007" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Speyside High teacher Carlis Boyce, left, introduces pan donor Iran ‘Duce’ Anthony. - THA[/caption]
Anthony assured that the donation is just the beginning as his aim to revitalise pan in all communities within Tobago.
Speyside High School Steel Orchestra was formed in 2006 with approximately ten students under deceased arranger Mr Broomes.
They competed in the THA Schools Panorama from 2007 to 2009, before Titus became involved in the programme.
In 2010, the band went on a winning streak with five consecutive years of success in the THA Schools Panorama.
They were also unbeaten from 2010-2017 in the Windward Junior Extravaganza Panorama.
Out of Speyside High Steel Orchestra, Steel Sensations emerged having past and present students in 2012.
Most notable performances were semifinals appearances at the National Small Bands Panorama competition in 2014 and 2017.
Steel Sensations also participated in Tha Pan Champs in 2013- 2017,our highest rank at that competition being 4th.
Speyside High has benefited from having past students such as Joshua Jerry, Keydell Kerr and Savion Murray arrange their music.
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