Bonfire & Fireworks

While In Montserrat has been a great success, and on that evening we managed to raise nearly EC$4,000 for our efforts to go to the Montserrat Foundation (UK). Guests were treated to an eclectic line-up of musicians and student performers, including Jo who did a brilliant first half of classical repertoire from Schumann and Prokofiev, amongst other works. Filipe did more than just visit Montserrat when he also took to the piano, and both of them were immensely well-received.

Filipe & I revisited our days in Guildhall when we also performed some four-handed works on two pianos, one of which was collaboratively composed during his stay here in Montserrat and the other completely improvised. The MSS steel pan did an amazing debut appearance, playing Buddy Tom and Hold My Hand, and the Montserrat Youth Choir shone as usual with a few amazing soloists standing out in particular.

I will be posting up for photos and videos up here once I get hold of them.

The past fortnight certainly has been particularly busy - apart from planning this recital, I had Filipe and Jo over from London to visit. And to perform as well, of course. But apart from all that, we also went about to take in the sights and sounds of Montserrat, including a bit of diving, venturing into the destroyed capital Plymouth, and catching the transit of Venus across the sun on the MVO helipad.

Being the week of the Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations, Montserrat as a British overseas territory certainly wasn't left out either. There were fireworks and a bonfire last week, a jubilee medal reception for the fire and police servicemen and women, and of course, the recital itself.

Fireworks & bonfire at Little Bay.

Sunset on the evening of the Venus transit.

Filipe & I heading off to dive at Rendezvous Bluff.

The extended beach at Plymouth.

Venturing into the destroyed capital.

At the jubilee medal reception.

And with barely any time for a breather, exam period at MSS quickly approaches. I, however, have managed to somehow squeeze in time to write all my exam papers, and now with that out of the way, I am certainly looking forward to a quick weekend sojourn in Antigua with Jo this Saturday.

Next week, I will be back in London for a job interview. If any prospective applicant for this project placement would like to have a chat with me then about the work being done here, please do get in touch.

Recitals & Rum shops

About a fortnight ago Volpanics put on another gig - a tribute performance of sorts, for two of its players, Caroline & Henry, who will sadly be leaving the island soon. This time it was at People's Place, one of my favourite spots in Montserrat. It's a scenic spot that serves up food and drink overlooking the valley adjacent to Forgathy Hill. And in true Montserratian style, we simply set up right beside the road and 'panned' away, with drivers who were passing by just pulling up and to enjoy a lime with live music.

As part of Caroline and Henry's leaving series of parties, Talus - Montserrat's only rock and roll band - also did a gig right on the helipad of MVO. Talus comprises of MVO employees Henry, Paddy and TC, and they certainly rocked away in style with the Soufrière Hills volcano as their stunning backdrop.

Volpanics and their roadside gig.

Talus on the helipad.

Special guest guitarist?

Last weekend has been especially busy, considering I managed to squeeze in yet another rum shop tour on Saturday. I'm starting to really enjoy the finer points of such tours - cramming onboard a bus with an assortment of instruments whilst traversing the entire length of the island, stopping off at various rum shops for a raucous good time! Think of it as a Monopoly-style pub crawl, only with lots and lots of the aforementioned rum.

The newly-formed MSS pan ensemble has been thriving well so far. The turnout for players has been positive, and at the moment we are working on a couple numbers hoping to be ready for the next concert that I have been planning. As part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, my fiancée Jocelyn Freeman (who just so happens to be visiting) will be giving a solo recital, along with the Montserrat Youth Choir who will also be performing. Filipe Sousa, a very good friend of mine as well as an accomplished pianist, is also visiting next month; he will join me for some four-hand piano pieces, most of which will most likely be rather improvisatory, given our style of working together.

This will also most likely be the last big music event that I will be planning - indeed, I have decided that, while my time here has been immensely well-spent, it is time to hand the baton on when my fixed-term contract finishes on 15 July 2012. Clare Catchpole, from GSMD, who has been assisting with managing this project, has sent out a few feelers to scout for the next possible replacement.

And given my impending departure from the island, I've decided to make the most of my time left by exploring bits of the island which I have left out so far. And only yesterday did I finally make my first visit to the last of the six 'main' beaches of Montserrat - Lime Kiln Bay. The others being Rendezvous Bay, Old Road Bay, Woodlands Beach, Bunkam Bay and Little Bay. There are also a few other beaches such as Foxes Bay and Isles Bay, but they are either more difficult to access or are in the restricted zone. Not that that will be stopping me!

Sunset at Lime Kiln Bay.

And as the end of term slowly approaches (already?!) I will soon be swamped with writing exam papers and planning practical tests for my music students. In the months since January, some of them have indeed displayed some innate musical talent and I am keen to see them do well over the next few weeks. In the meantime, however, planning for the upcoming recital should take up most of my time.