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MUSIC
CLASSICAL AND PERFORMANCE MUSIC
CLERK, Astley - did much to encourage orchestral music in Kingston. Having worked at Louis Winkler's music shop and publishing house, he later built up his own enterprise in sheet music, instrument sales and in music publishing at Cowen's Music Rooms. He himself had written songs. He published the songs and waltzes of the local composers such as P. Anderson Cover and Kenneth McCormack. Astley Clerk too a great deal of interest in Jamaican folk music. In 1913 he gave an illustrated talk to the Wesley Guild at Edmondson Hall on the subject of the origins of Jamaica folk music from Arawak times. He wrote down in musical notation, the cries of the street vendors of that time and these were sung by Granville Campell, the Jamaican tenor from Spanish Town. Astley Clerk used to invite students to practice at the store on Saturday afternoons. He organized concerts known as Variants in his music rooms on Christmas mornings. [Source: The Arts of an Island]
DeMONTAGNAC, Madame Noele - in 1929 Madame Noele DeMontagnac and her husband organized the first orchestra and musical organization in the island to last over a period of years, known as the Jamaica Symphony Orchestra.The first rehearsals were held on Sunday afternoons at the Kingston Technical School. Madame DeMontagnac and her husband used their car to taxi members of the orchestra to these rehearsals in order to ensure that they were on time. The first performance of this orchestra consisted of music by Gluck, Elgar and Rimsky-Korsakoff. [Source: The Arts of an Island]
GOODE, George Davis - Born in Port Royal, he studied the organ with Charles Goldson, who travelled across Kingston Harbor to teach him because there was no road to Port Royal at that time. Later, Goode used to go by boat to Kingston to take lessons from Mr. Herbert Dadd on the organ of St. Georges Church. In 1910, at the age of 15, he became the organist of St. Michael's Church, a position in which he served until his death in 1960.
Goode's first effort was the formation of a small group known as the Kingston Glee Singers, founded after hearing The Westminster Glee and Concert party which gave a concert at the Ward Theatre in 1906. Goode was so impressed by their singing, that he formed a local group to do similar work. The performances of the Kingston Glee Singers brought to the public of Jamaica a concept of the choral style in early church music, madrigals and Christmas carols. Also included in the repertoire of this group were spirituals from the Southern American States, National airs and folk songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and even Japan. However, there was not one folk song of Jamaica in their repertoire. the first public concert of the Kingston Glee singers was held in 1912 at the Collegiate Hall, Kingston. This choral group continued to exist over the years, with the numbers of performers varying from 15 to 18 persons. In all, 58 people sang with this choir in the 25 years of its existence.
In 1913, Mr. Goode formed a choir of 100 voices in order to perform some of the choral works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the black English composer, who had died the year before. The programme included instrumental pieces by the same composer performed on the violin and piano by local artists and by a 30-piece orchestra. This concert, entitled the Coleridge-Taylor Commemoration Festival, which was in aid of the building of a hall for St. Michaels Church. [Source: The Arts of an Island]
JACKSON, Ellis - Assembled the first local choral group of concert standard, the Jamaica Choir. This choir had been assembled for the Jamaica Exhibition in 1891, and subsequently toured England. [Source: The Arts of an Island]
LAWSON, Hazel Olivine - born Colon, May 20, 1922. Educated Wolmer's High School; awarded scholarship by the Associated Board 1940 tenable in London; awarded seven silver and gold medals Festivals of 1935 and 1937; Gold Medallist (advanced grade), highest marks West Indies 1937; official accompanist Music Festival 1939; Recitals - Barranquilla, Panama, 1944-45; [Source: Who’s Who Jamaica 1941-1946]
RUSSELL, Oswald - Of all the Jamaican concert pianists Oswald Russell has had the greatest opportunity of international study and performance. He is a brilliant pianist; he has studied and performed in London, Vienna, and in New York, where he was a student at the Juilliard School of Music, and where he was able to meet Leonard Bernstein and other modern American composers. During his visits to Jamaica he composed for dance groups. He has directed such distinguished choreographers as Martha Graham, Agnes DeMille and George Balanchine.
CLASSICAL AND PERFORMANCE MUSIC
CLERK, Astley - did much to encourage orchestral music in Kingston. Having worked at Louis Winkler's music shop and publishing house, he later built up his own enterprise in sheet music, instrument sales and in music publishing at Cowen's Music Rooms. He himself had written songs. He published the songs and waltzes of the local composers such as P. Anderson Cover and Kenneth McCormack. Astley Clerk too a great deal of interest in Jamaican folk music. In 1913 he gave an illustrated talk to the Wesley Guild at Edmondson Hall on the subject of the origins of Jamaica folk music from Arawak times. He wrote down in musical notation, the cries of the street vendors of that time and these were sung by Granville Campell, the Jamaican tenor from Spanish Town. Astley Clerk used to invite students to practice at the store on Saturday afternoons. He organized concerts known as Variants in his music rooms on Christmas mornings. [Source: The Arts of an Island]
DeMONTAGNAC, Madame Noele - in 1929 Madame Noele DeMontagnac and her husband organized the first orchestra and musical organization in the island to last over a period of years, known as the Jamaica Symphony Orchestra.The first rehearsals were held on Sunday afternoons at the Kingston Technical School. Madame DeMontagnac and her husband used their car to taxi members of the orchestra to these rehearsals in order to ensure that they were on time. The first performance of this orchestra consisted of music by Gluck, Elgar and Rimsky-Korsakoff. [Source: The Arts of an Island]
GOODE, George Davis - Born in Port Royal, he studied the organ with Charles Goldson, who travelled across Kingston Harbor to teach him because there was no road to Port Royal at that time. Later, Goode used to go by boat to Kingston to take lessons from Mr. Herbert Dadd on the organ of St. Georges Church. In 1910, at the age of 15, he became the organist of St. Michael's Church, a position in which he served until his death in 1960.
Goode's first effort was the formation of a small group known as the Kingston Glee Singers, founded after hearing The Westminster Glee and Concert party which gave a concert at the Ward Theatre in 1906. Goode was so impressed by their singing, that he formed a local group to do similar work. The performances of the Kingston Glee Singers brought to the public of Jamaica a concept of the choral style in early church music, madrigals and Christmas carols. Also included in the repertoire of this group were spirituals from the Southern American States, National airs and folk songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and even Japan. However, there was not one folk song of Jamaica in their repertoire. the first public concert of the Kingston Glee singers was held in 1912 at the Collegiate Hall, Kingston. This choral group continued to exist over the years, with the numbers of performers varying from 15 to 18 persons. In all, 58 people sang with this choir in the 25 years of its existence.
In 1913, Mr. Goode formed a choir of 100 voices in order to perform some of the choral works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the black English composer, who had died the year before. The programme included instrumental pieces by the same composer performed on the violin and piano by local artists and by a 30-piece orchestra. This concert, entitled the Coleridge-Taylor Commemoration Festival, which was in aid of the building of a hall for St. Michaels Church. [Source: The Arts of an Island]
JACKSON, Ellis - Assembled the first local choral group of concert standard, the Jamaica Choir. This choir had been assembled for the Jamaica Exhibition in 1891, and subsequently toured England. [Source: The Arts of an Island]
LAWSON, Hazel Olivine - born Colon, May 20, 1922. Educated Wolmer's High School; awarded scholarship by the Associated Board 1940 tenable in London; awarded seven silver and gold medals Festivals of 1935 and 1937; Gold Medallist (advanced grade), highest marks West Indies 1937; official accompanist Music Festival 1939; Recitals - Barranquilla, Panama, 1944-45; [Source: Who’s Who Jamaica 1941-1946]
RUSSELL, Oswald - Of all the Jamaican concert pianists Oswald Russell has had the greatest opportunity of international study and performance. He is a brilliant pianist; he has studied and performed in London, Vienna, and in New York, where he was a student at the Juilliard School of Music, and where he was able to meet Leonard Bernstein and other modern American composers. During his visits to Jamaica he composed for dance groups. He has directed such distinguished choreographers as Martha Graham, Agnes DeMille and George Balanchine.