Wesley College Bahamas

Our 2007 Christmas programme was held at Aldersgate Methodist Church, Marsh Harbour.

The programme began promptly at 7:00 PM with a prelude, featuring the Wesley College Band.

Guest soloist was Mr. Basil Been.

The supportive audience included parents, past students and friends. There were also visitors from California and Canada.

Wesley College Christmas Programme, December 16, 2010

The Annual Christmas programme, held at Aldersgate Methodist Church Thursday night was a smashing success, until the power went off, ruining the main item.

Following a Prelude by the Band, the angel, Ulander Clough gave a seraphic welcome to open the programme!

The wise men: Jarro Curry, Irwin Young and Dirk Reitsma, were brave and dramaticin their majestic entry. They then recited the poem of The Brown King. The Band accompanied them withWe Three Kings, by John Hopkins Jr.

The band, led by Master Musicians Paige Archer (clarinet) and Charles Carey lll (trumpet), were professional. Paige was featured in It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas, composed by Meridith Wilson, while one of Charles’ solos was Silent Night.

Teran Edgecombe and the percussion Section, Dre' Hepburn, Jarro Curry, Demeko Thompson, did a tremendous job.

Thomas Reitsma and Christopher Smith sounded like King's Heralds on the trumpets, while Kandise Kelly produced mellow tones on her Alto saxophone.

Guest performer, Kelson Simmons was masterful on the Tuba, and coaching the percussionists on drumming techniques during rehearsals.

Ms. Levarity and The Spanish Class were World Class in their version of Deck the Halls.

The Art Class, led Ms. Levarity provided a Christmas Tree with 100% handmade Bahamian Junkanoo ornaments (nothing from China)! We can do it!

Thomas Reitsma and the High School students produced images for the Manger Scene, including the baby in a manger, Mary and Joseph, a camel, and sheep.

The students displayed a wide variety of musical and dramatic skills in selections ranging from the Fifteenth Century French Melody O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, to a  lively, jazz version of Go, Tell it on the mountain.

The beginning students were given the opportunity to display their percussion skills in Christmas Fun Medley, a collection of Children’s favourites.

The musical maturity and professionalism of the young players was displayed in the solemn Christmas Classics, including,  O Little Town of Bethlehem, and O Holy Night, featuring  the Brass Ensemble. These pieces required careful intonation, pacing and modulation, which the students executed well. Band Director, Reverend Charles Carey explained that O Holy Night has been a signature piece of his students since he started the Boy’s Brigade Band in 1982, and through-out the 22 year- history of Wesley College. He noted that some of his first students now have children in the present band.

The audience joined enthusiastically  in the singing of Charles Wesley’s Hark, the Herald Angels Sing and Wade’s O Come All Ye Faithful.

Contemporary pieces included, Do You Hear What I Hear, which tested several music techniques, and Deck the Halls, rendered in Spanish, under the direction of Spanish Teacher, Ms Mahalia Levarity.

Unfortunitely, the feature Selection, Christmas Overture, a medley of Carols, ending with Joy to the World was ruined when there was a power surge and outage.The Band was unable to read their scores.

Thanking parents, friends, staff, and all who contributed to the success of the performance, Reverend Carey lamented that after weeks of preparation, there was a sparse audience. He noted that musical training improves student performance in all academic areas, and provides a vehicle for scholarships and a source of income, but, most of all a sense of satisfaction.

The Finale’ was a medley of carols, played to a junkanoo beat, and immensely enjoyed by the Band and audience alike.