Dash & Splash

My last two weeks here in Montserrat have been proving to be just as busy, starting with the final assembly for Montserrat Secondary School held at the cultural centre on Tuesday the 3rd, followed by the graduation ceremony for the Form 5s the day after. It was a formal enough affair, with the MSS cadet corps doing a procession with an inspection of the graduands. The choir sang, along with a MSS dance ensemble and of course, lots of speeches. The valedictorian Tiffannie Skerritt - it was quite an American-styled graduation - also got awarded an iPad for her hard work. A pretty good deal if you ask me!

MSS end-of-year assembly at the Montserrat Cultural Centre.

Form 5 graduands getting ready for inspection.

The Montserrat Secondary School cadet corps.

Putting on the final touches with a bit of help.

The Montserrat Youth Choir in their final performance with me.

Over the weekend just past was the inaugural Belham Valley Dash 'n' Splash, organized by the Montserrat Running Club. A 1.8km dash down the Belham Valley, navigating past obstacles such as pyroclastic hills and scattered brush, before approaching the Old Road Bay and crossing the finishing line by placing any part of your body in the sea. Of course, stylistic 'splashdowns' were encouraged, and also rewarded.

Oh, and all of this done in fancy dress (of course)!

And so, in the spirit of Montserrat Secondary School and as a reflection of my work there, I decided to dress up in a MSS student uniform. Given the logic that long trousers would impede my performance, I therefore made the strategic decision to wear a female uniform instead. I came in 6th out of twenty-five, so I guess it paid off. Unfortunately, however, I was just ahead of the winner who made (and subsequently won the prize for) the best entry into the sea. As such I had the privilege of turning back, only to see him thrashing butt naked into the Caribbean sea towards my face. Thanks Andy.

All decked out and ready to go.

"If you get injured, then it's your fault."

The wide variety of fancy dress everyone turned up in.

The remainder of the photos can be found on my Facebook album at http://is.gd/RCVxi0. Be sure to take a look at some of the hilarious finishes!

Centenarians & Reports

I finally had the chance today to get my hands on a copy of the Montserrat Reporter, which had a two-page spread about the jubilee celebrations as well as an entire page dedicated to photos from the recital. An online version of this article can be found here.

Yesterday was what I would expect to be my last pan gig with Volpanics. Cupid called me up at lunchtime yesterday asking if I would be able to play at a centenarian's birthday party. It was a really nice, familial reception of relatives and close friends (which you would certainly accrue after 100 years!) and the governor Adrian was there to present the queen's birthday card.

According to Adrian, this was his 6th 100-year-old party he's attended in Montserrat since he took office slightly over a year ago. Not too bad, if you consider this island's population of only about 4,800.

Performing at the Lookout Community Centre.

Another stunning Montserratian sunset.

Graduation at MSS takes place on next Wednesday, and the principal has requested for the Montserrat Youth Choir to perform. Looks like I'll be kept busy to the very end! Certainly looking forward to it though.

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.