WASHINGTON, DC – The young men of the Boys Choir of The Bahamas lived up to their role as Youth Ambassadors for The Bahamas over the past week, carrying the sounds of Bahamian singing – particularly the “rhyming spirituals” native to The Bahamas – like a torch into Washington, DC and the surrounding areas.
The choir’s performances have been variously described as “sterling,” “triumphant,” “amazing” or “magnificent” by concert-goers, and everywhere the choir performed, whether at the Bahamian Independence Reception at the Organisation of American States (OAS) Hall of The Americas or at a local DC church, the report was that the boys were – in one concertgoer’s word – “awesome.”
In addition to being the featured musical offering at the Independence Reception on July 9, 2010, and offering special music during the Independence Church Service at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church on Sunday, July 11, 2010, the boys were featured in a special concert under the patronage of the Embassy of The Bahamas, with partners Mr. & Mrs. Franklyn Wilson and the Office for Trade Promotion of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Centre.
Special Performance
The Embassy arranged for the Boys Choir of The Bahamas to perform in the Amphitheater of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Centre, one of Washington, DC’s most popular and respected performance spaces.
The choir members range in age from eight to 18 years old, and they performed on Tuesday, July 13, 2010, at the Special Independence Concert with all the enthusiasm and energy that youth – the special focus of this year’s celebrations – brings. Their concert repertoire included blazing renditions of spirituals like “Rain Little Children” and gospel numbers like Richard Smallwood’s lovely “Total Praise.” The boys also sang arrangements by Music Director Alfred Dean of Bahamian “Goombay” classics and “rake-and-scrape” hits like KB’s “Toters” and “Watermelon Is Spoiling.”
Where the boys ‘kicked it up a notch,’ however, was in their performance of the “rhyming spirituals” in the “Dicey-doh” style. A quartet of boys stepped forward, found the pitch onstage by tuning to each others’ voices – part of the tradition, and no mistake – and off they went. These pieces were received with rapturous applause.
In all, the concert was a resounding success. Information Officer at the Permanent Mission of Canada to the Organisation of American States, Sophie Leduc, said after the concert:
“It is undeniable that those boys are extremely talented. It definitely makes me want to go to The Bahamas soon!”
