Jamaica Youth Chorale keeping spirits up
Published:Thursday | December 23, 2021 | 12:06 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
The Jamaica Youth Chorale (JYC) is looking forward to performing in the new year, after two years of being absent from the stage.
Greg Simms, principal director and founder of the JYC, says the chorale landscape worldwide has been altered because of gathering restrictions and other protocols brought on by the pandemic.
“I think it is difficult for so many creatives to keep spirits up these days, but we are a resilient team and we learned to pivot – the buzzword these days. So, we reimagined what it means to be a choir in a pandemic and adapted quickly,” he told The Gleaner.
Through the kind support of our friends, sponsors and alumni, the organisation has managed to stay afloat. The JYC has had over 150 singers pass through its ranks over the years, many of whom continue to support the work of the choir. It currently has about 25 active members and Simms is eager to announce auditions in January via social media. If feasible, he shared that interested persons will be asked to submit content for a virtual assessment.
The chorale’s last performance was in December 2019 and in an effort to keep their audiences engaged, Simms said they pushed more content online and also decided to record and release an album in time for their annual concert season and recital. While the artistic process was severely limited, the performers donned their masks, kept smaller rehearsals and recording sessions and put all the material they needed together to make Spirit Vol 1: Spirituals & Sacred Works by Jamaican Composers.
Simms said, “It took a lot of work; we did it in a narrow window and singers didn’t have the usual stamina and dexterity that they would in regular rehearsals, and the masks did impact the volume and timbre of our sound but we had to put safety first. We had to be quick and efficient because time was precious, that is, with curfews and members of the choir leaving to study overseas. The budget was also very limited, nevertheless, we persevered. Spirit is a special and unique project.”
The album was officially released in November and is available on all online music platforms. Any income from the album will go towards supporting the work of the performers and to improve their product and experience of its members and audience.
CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS
It is hard to compare Spirit, which is the chorale’s second album, to anything else the organisation has produced, he said. Most of the songs revolve around encouraging people, celebrating Christmas the Jamaican way, and is also a tribute to some of the island’s renowned composers, including the late Dr Noel Dexter, Dr Garnet Mowatt, Dr Andrew Marshall, Stephen Shaw-Naar, Clyde Hoyte, Dr Kathy Brown and Samuel Felsted, who wrote the first published oratorio in the New World in 1775. It includes works by Simms and other JYC composers, Cedron Walters and Dr Odane Dawkins, as well as features the production work of Jon Williams and Elisha Ellis.
“It is the only album we have that is available online and is the only exclusive collection of authentic Jamaican choral music online too. The JYC is chock-full of amazing talent and leadership and we are proud of what we have produced,” he said.
Simms said resources permitting, the organisation intends “to produce a series of albums, Spirit is the first of that series, that capture the Jamaican choral landscape inclusive of art songs, folk music and popular music among other genres”.
“We hope outside start keep again as we want to return to live performances and miss our live audiences. We will continue to make good music and expect to be travelling the world and possibly release another album soon,” he continued.
Sherona Forrester, one of the JYC’s founding members, shared that her favourite songs on the album are the Christmas arrangements. “My favourite track is definitely Silent Night,” she said, “as it captures not only the spirit of the choir but the revival theme that keeps me moving.”
Founded in December 2008, the JYC quickly emerged as one of the nation’s leading choirs being featured in many local, regional and international publications, productions and events. This month they celebrate 13 years.