Easter’s Joyful, Joyful 

The Barbados National Youth Symphony Orchestra performing at the 2022 Barbados Independence concert. (National Cultural Foundation)

The 100-member Barbados National Youth Symphony Orchestra will take centre-stage at the National Cultural Foundation’s (NCF) Joyful, Joyful concert on Easter Sunday at the National Botanical Gardens in Waterford, St. Michael.

From 2:00 p.m. the musical showcase will highlight the talent of mostly young, rising stars, with the youngest being six-years-old, and a few experienced artistes.

Musical Director, Dr. Joy Knight will be leading them as they perform new pieces by local arrangers Nicholas Brancker, Tito Gittens, Trumpetboy Entertainment, Steve Sobers and Mark Husbands. The Sobers arrangement, entitled It’s All About Gospel, features songs by Joseph Niles and Sister Marshall.

Husbands’ arrangement of Amazing Grace will feature Carol George on vocals and Darien Bailey on keys. A special tribute to Carlyn Leacock will be done by Ch’an. The other act slated to perform with the Orchestra is Maya Sobers.

Musical Director, Dr. Joy Knight (National Cultural Foundation)

Knight said members of the Orchestra are set and ready to show off their skills with a repertoire of different genres of music.

“We are excited and happy to be performing for Easter. It is always a pleasure to showcase the works of Caribbean composers and arrangers. We will be performing arrangements commissioned by the NCF specifically for the Orchestra. 

“Arrangements of our local music by Roger Gittens, Jomo Slusher, Steve Sobers, Mark Husbands, Dwain Gill, Tito Gittens, and Music Officer, Kevin Moore will be performed. These concerts are always an enriching experience for the youth and impacts positively as we endeavour to perform a variety of genres,” she said.

The concert will also showcase the 2022 NIFCA [National Independence Festival of Creative Arts] Stars backed by young musicians Kemal Blackman and Ronel Parris. This segment will be emceed by the 2022 NIFCA Young MCs.

The NIFCA Stars casts includes Skyy Dowridge, Che Reign, Harmoni Haynes, Shaneka George, Joshua Osbourne, Kenola Greenidge, Jasiah Moore and Dondria Forde.

Cultural Officer – Music Organisations, Aisha Butcher (National Cultural Foundation)

NCF Cultural Officer – Music Organisations, Aisha Butcher promises an entertaining event which showcases talented youth from communities across Barbados.

“Joyful, Joyful will be a mesmerising afternoon of music and a huge celebration of youth, talent, and community. In the weeks leading up to the concert, everyone involved has worked extremely hard and is prepared to give it their all on concert day. You will feel renewed, refreshed and beam with pride once you’ve heard and seen it all from our young people on stage,” Butcher said. (PR)

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