NCOJ 51st anniversary service for Spanish Town Cathedral

The National Chorale of Jamaica (NCOJ) will mark its 51st anniversary with a thanksgiving service at the Spanish Town Cathedral in St Catherine on April 23, starting at 3 p.m. Officiating priest will be Reverend Canon Colin Reid.

The service, under the theme, The Journey Continues, will see members of the 25-strong choir under the musical direction of conductor Winston Ewart, raising their voices in praise for their many blessings and preservation of the chorale’s existence over the past five decades. Accompanist will be Stephen Shaw-Naar.

Chairman of the NCOJ, Christopher Samuda, said much praise had to be given to Ewart, who has given unparalleled contribution to the chorale and to Jamaica’s musical development through his dedication to excellence.

“Credit too must be given to the members consisting of the finest voices of soprano, alto, tenor and bass for their resilience and commitment to the preservation of the Choir,” Samuda stated.

He noted that the chorale will continue to rebrand and remain relevant “by introducing generational succession through the recruitment of exceptional voices and the somewhat modernisation of its musical presentations”.

In reminiscing on the beginnings of the chorale, Ewart reminded that it was the brainchild of the late Geoffrey Fairweather and his then wife, Jean, who invited him and other like-minded people to start this musical movement in 1972, and used his home for the weekly gatherings.

“ We look forward to the strengthening of the chorale and to pique the interest of the young towards this genre of music,” Ewart added.