My Sacrilegious Rendition of only one verse

This is by Civic ethics not done, But I could not at all resist it...the church was empty and I just...I just had to...the process to do this was...wow, tedious but it took 20 mins, two borrowed phones and a lot of projecting, but the church BLESSEDLY carried the reverb well...hard part was synching up the recordings...which was a huge fail but the opp wont come again so...here it be-eth, My six part (ATTTBB) of the Anthem's first verse (with so much interlapping you may never tell the lines apart, lol)
Enjoy and feedback Appreciated!
Carl-Anthony

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

Of Concerts and Operas...UWI Singer's Concert Season 2012

Promo Poster for this year's concert Season
(Me extreme right as gentleman and below my wineglass as a "thug")

so...the summer is off to a pretty much bleak start, but there are little windows of hope/joy...sorta, lol... So this year, The University Singers of the University of the West Indies Mona Campus (you guessed it, im in this choir), is staging our concert under the banner of events commemorating the Jamaica 50th anniversary of independence. this year, a first for the choir, we attempt/present an Opera on the Morant Bay Rebellion titled "1865" written by our choirmaster, Mr Franklyn Halliburton. in the performance of this, I understudy two roles: 1; the spirit who opens with a dance, wielding a calabash as dramatic turns to the four corners of the stage to invoke the presence of the ancestral spirits, which I share with a good friend and fellow tenor in the choir J. Chambers, and the role of a gentleman of the gentry, who warns the Custos Rotulorum of the arrival of the disgruntled peasantry at the Courthouse, which I alternate with another tenor vocalist, O'Rain Thomas. I am proud to say I was apart of this process and presentatio of the work. I enjoy my roles and I enjoy the audiences reception of the undertaking, some nights bowled over by the standing ovation we receive. first CDT's Ballet and now an Opera...I am looking to see what else this season in life has in store for me...
Yours in the Arts (:-p)
Carl-Anthony

Me (Right) as terrified Gentleman, O Thomas as Custos and
Ms D. Nelson as a terrified but vindicated Lady of the gentry

I pledge, great music to tune to the heart of any patriot...

The video I upload here is something that is quite a beautiful and very much rough rehearsal video...its my Choir conductor's arrangement of I pledge my Heart Forever, solo for Soprano...It is to be performed in our season this year and I honestly CANNOT WAIT to hear the flawlessly rendered piece...just hope I don't freeze or tear up backstage when I should be changing costumes. *covers face* full credits for the video are typed below it, feel free to comment ...ENJOY !!! 

I Pledge... music Gustav Holst (I Vow to thee My Country), Lyrics Hon. V. Stafford Reid, OJ, Arranged for Soprano solo and piano by  Franklin E. Halliburton, AS sung by Marcelle Thomas, Accompanist, C. Whyte

An Afternoon out...

Today was decidedly A vacation day from my usual topsy turvy pace... the activities began with a chat with a new-found good friend(well, with the makings of Awesomeness) , followed up with a trip to the pool, where I was pleasantly surprised by the sight of three good friends. we proceeded to go watch the Jamaica Defence Force Massed bands concert at the Amphitheatre (Shell Bandstand) at the Royal Botanical Hope Gardens. The music was in many places A.HOT.Steaming.MESS but it was entertaining, what with soloists botching through crowd favourites and the refusal of the horns to play in the same key as the woodwinds, who were determined each to play decidedly above or below pitch for many of the higher notes. It was a great day to step outside of the frenetic pace. I add a short video of us in our picturesque day and a photo, taken by Andre <<the one n the video who shows his tongue a bit too often for a 20 year old (._. ) >>  in which I was so intensely focused 'pretend conducting' (*sticks out tongue* NO one is NEVER too old to pretend conduct) the band in one of the better known pieces, that I look like a complete retard...as in seriously...I was scared by my expression...

but yea...all in all a fun time was had by all.

A [not so] Random Excursion...

Today was an awesomely spontaneous day. at home somewhat bored.out.of.my.wits, I got up to answer "the call."

No, it wasn't the call of nature...per se...

Was an invitation to visit a friend's mother on her birthday, to brighten her holidays with company. It seems the trip was what all involved had needed, as a grand time was had by all, picking coconuts, cooking food prepared over an open fire (I LOVE spicy food, and mama Donna did NOT disappoint), splashing around, swimming and exploring the river in the backyard (the district of Deeside, St Catherine, Jamaica).

at the moment I had seen the embrace of mother and son, a pang of jealousy that I've come to be aware of but never able to banish or ignore flared up...and I remember I would never have that moment, that I was a bit of an intruder upon this family, a rare moment the voyeur on the other side of the glass could get up close... and I did my trademark, a smile a joke and a casual sidestep and was about to walk away when....she hugged me as well. bafflingly, she hugged us all, and in the brief embrace I felt a warmth I feel solely from the protective hug of the nurturing women in my life, as well as something more...undefinable but wonderful...*shrug* love of a mother? Guess that's due for more over-analysis as is my wont

 moving on, *awkward chuckle*I discovered I had not completely lost my ability to swim unceasingly in unknown waters, and in the process found the challenge of swimming against current was exhilarating, planting the seed of longing for my once constant trips to the pool. twas a great day all in all, and interestingly I discovered that a lot of my love for water is steeped in a fear and awe of its power. humbled as I waded through the cool stream, feeling the moss and silt and stones caress my soles, I felt an eerie peace...
I missed my other close friends terribly, and I had wanted to share the day with them, but It was not to've been...Maybe/hopefully next time...