Effort & Legacy

Earlier in the week I had the pleasure of heading over to Isles Bay to have dinner with Gordon and Sylvie Young, who are currently on island for a short break. Gordon is the chairman of The Montserrat Foundation (UK), which, of course, is the charity that has been managing this entire project. After some very fine, exquisite French fare (whipped up by Sylvie herself, no less) - which is certainly a treat in these places - Gordon put on a DVD of Music for Montserrat, a concert which was held on 15 September 1997 at the Royal Albert Hall.

What so special about this concert was that it featured a plethora of famous musicians who previously recorded at AIR Studios in Montserrat, including Phil Collins, Sting, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Carl Perkins and Paul McCartney. Music for Montserrat was arranged and produced by Sir George Martin, and proceeds from the concert were used for disaster relief after a major eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano the year before. These musicians agreed to appear, out of their own pocket, to raise the necessary funds for the sake of Montserrat. Below is a video of the show's finale, featuring a line-up of stellar artists singing Hey Jude. If anyone could have brought the likes of Sting, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and so many more together on-stage to perform at the same time, it would have had to be George himself.

AIR Studios in Montserrat was also set up by Sir George Martin, who himself fell in love with (and still continues to play a huge part in the development of) Montserrat. It's main purpose was meant to be a get-away-from-it-all sort of studio, and saw many famous faces walk through its doors until it was finally destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

Over the weekend I had the chance to visit what now remains of AIR Studios, located near the Belham Valley. It certainly looks like a ghost of its former self, but one can still certainly appreciate the legacy and the charm it must have held over its many visitors.

The entrance of AIR Montserrat.

Pool included for all those recording breaks.

All that's now left.

It is a somewhat of a shame that a lot of the island's music legacy as been lost on the young people here today, as I have observed from my classes. If only the government here could put in a bit more effort in restoring that by starting to spread awareness of the pivotal role Montserrat once played in - if not the development then at least the production - of what we would call iconic rock music today, I am sure the young people here would embrace it proudly.

Things like putting the Montserrat Cultural Centre to better, more intensive use would only serve to benefit the island's heritage. The only time I stopped by at the centre, the second day I got to the island, it was completely locked shut and the area behind the centre looked slightly overgrown. Yet the Montserrat Tourist Board lists the Cultural Centre as one of the tourist spots to visit. This place could be a perfect location to continue the legacy of AIR Studios and the Beatles - to set up a permanent, constantly-manned exhibition might be a good start.