Saying Goodbye to 2013...

So here, I sit at my desk at work, dimly aware of life around me (groggy as I am from lack of sleep) and I pause...I am at my desk...on the last day of the year 2013. its over. another year: an eventful, interesting, depressing, joyous, life changing, painful, beautiful year is at its close...I'm awed...as I go through captured moments, a lot come to mind, and many un - captured...but lets attempt a quick photoreview...

FrenchMan's Cove, January 2013

I had the pleasure of beginning the year with fellowship, as some of my closest friends all piled up into a car and we were off, to one of the most pristine beaches on our little Isle of Jamaica...it was lovely, and the memory of that day warms me.

Tenors of JYC (Not pictured: D. Hamilton, P. Dawes and D. Bailey)

Had the first official photo-shoot and concert Season of the Jamaica Youth Chorale, here I am with my fellow tenors. I Love these guys like family, and I am heartened to know they feel the same 

Diocesan Festival Choir Beach Trip (James Bond Beach)

My sister paid me a visit for the summer. It was glorious having her back with me, and sharing the life I had carved for myself in Jamaica with her. Here we are on a choir beach trip, and about to attend a street session with my/our father (lol), and, as usual, It became like we were kids again lyming and skipping, sighting, water war...I miss her much, and as I may not see her for another 2 years, this vacation was immensely memorable

The real glue that keeps this Trio running 

Post performance, Music in the Hills, the Ambrosian Ensemble

I was a Part of an octet for a concert recital of Operatic Choruses and Quartets, Broadway standards and Sacred works...I sang In German, Latin and Italian...Loved every second of the experience, and I hope I am called upon again to sing with these awesomely talented people

My most emotionally charged role to date, I was a dance soloist to spoken word at the year's "Gungo Walk" and "Tallawah" arts festivals. I played Dwayne Jones, A young Gender non-conforming boy who had got beaten to death by a mob of intolerant Jamaicans. I was scared, I was saddened...and I cried. It will be a role and piece that remains with me forever, and I am glad I could do something in tribute to a life cut too short 

Kinesio taped and ordered a month of no activity

 THIS WAS HARD...while dancing, I got a sprained back and slightly dislocated a vertebra, and jarred them. I got my first immensely debilitating injury since mountain- biking as a kid (I biked off a cliff and landed right into a concussion, lol), and it was very eye opening... it hurt...deeply, as it made me aware of just.how.dangerous.dance. is. It was and is a task acclimatising to this weakness, and I hope as I learn to live with it (the effects are somewhat permanent) and to regain strength, I will keep the lesson of safety and moderation forefront in mind. Another effect it had was the revelation that not all is as it seems, and an olive branch can pose as hemlock and vice versa..

Here pushing through pain during a work break

Company Dance Theatre In McDaniel's Reggae piece SESSION. 

I Performed in my fourth season of dance with the Company Dance Theatre, a great task and undertaking with a career - ending injury (that demanded rest that I wasn't willing to take). while it was not a particularly happy time of it, I have grown as a performer, and tested in great discomfort as I sought not to let the experience of the audience be marred by my handicap.




While there are many more eventful photos and experiences, I chose to try and highlight those I was a bit more "comfortable" sharing...for now...
It was great having you 2013, I definitely gained strength; even at the expense of the physical, courage and no shortage of opportunities to glean wisdom. I have, lived, laughed, loved and made bonds that I hope will last a lifetime, and memories that will last until the end of all time.

of Friends, Easter, and the gift of Music...Palm Sunday

SO...for Palm Sunday two friends of mine decided to perform two solos of mine for a concert of psalms held at the Barbican Baptist Church, where Peter's (the tenor soloist) dad is the choirmaster. they chose the tenor and bass solos from my choral work A Cycle of Psalms.  despite the issues with accompaniment and anxiety as well as other technical difficulties (the peron who videotaped it was a bit...Lax...with getting introduction and keeping the camera on the singer lol) They were good performances and I was honoured that they did my work, giving an aural component to the scribblings on a page. Here they are, Messrs. Peter Dawes and Michael Sutherland (Bass) singing Psalm 43 and 13 respectively, "Judge Me O God" and "Lord How Long Wilt thou Forget Me?" from A Cycle of Psalms

 

Succour on a Dark Day...

Looking through some old files on my phones temporarily de-commissioned memory card had me in a bit of a nostalgic mood, then I stumbled on a mini clip of JYC learning De Cormier's Ride on from two years ago, brought a much needed smile to my face. I share it here with you, a few seconds of just singing for the fun of it. hope it brightens yours too

Of solos, concerts and SOLO...me Alone

So some weekends back the Jamaica Youth Chorale had our annual flagship concert "Ancestor Voices". I had been asked to submit an arrangement of the Jamaican Spiritual "Me Alone", which tells the story of Jesus' temptation and fasting in the wilderness. I was ecstatic the director loved my arrangement (though he wasn't surprised at that, his words: "give you anything sad or dark and it must come out good"), and the rehearsals devoted to it and my hearing it were very touching moments in my life...then terror struck
"...So Carl, go ahead and try out the solo..."
*Gasps* what? uhm, can I just ...not, please? I never write with myself in mind for a solo and would not dream of singing a solo I've written let alone premièring it! I was terror and awestruck simultaneously...and went on to be the soloist in my own piece at the concert...well received rendition even if it felt like an out of body experience...a friend/group of friends conspired to record my experience (did I mention I am slowly hating the Video feature of smartphones? *shakes head*) and proceeded to regale me of the mistakes odd nuances and (few) good moments of the piece...

Weeping Mary... A we say music!!!

Here I post a Midi and score of a Vocal Work of Mine...*glee til' I realise it sounds like crap because of the programme used to do the synth voices* You can follow the music cause I sync'd it with the sound (rae fa my skills *jumps around*) [for foreigners, "Rae" is a Jamaican Ideomatic exclamation of joy, assent or suprise] Feedback much appreciated, drop me a line, lemme know what u think below :-)
SIDE NOTE:  I don't like that nasty intro while the title is going up either, but...meh

Blessings,
Carl-Anthony

A Return to my love...

On Sunday (well, yesterday, lol) I had the pleasure to return to rehearsals with the Jamaica You Chorale, one of the choral concepts of which I'm apart. I had missed this group terribly, the camaraderie, jokes and laughter...and paramount, our collective SOUND! love ma JYC fam! here's us doing Hogan's Hold On! in rehearsal, no soloists yet (we've yet to know if we using tenors or sopranos, but I'm EXCITED-hopefully im considered? *crosses fingers* cant wait for AV 2012!!!)

(AV: Ancestor Voices, the flagship annual concert of the Jamaica Youth Chorale, which showcases mainly sacred choral works with an emphasis on Spirituals and slave songs of the world)