Tips & Tricks

That's it - school is now out. Well, apart from the final assembly on Tuesday and graduation on Wednesday, that is. So now it's two weeks' of wrapping up before the 15th, which loosely translates to packing and beach time. This weekend has been a quite a physical exertion on myself, if not for the 13-hour Alan Partridge marathon yesterday then the ankle sprain which caught me out during a quick 30-minute footie session yesterday afternoon. So that meant a lot of icing and elevating today on the couch, watching Spain ride their way to victory at the Euro finals.

So now I'm housebound for a bit, and I suppose now is a better time than any. The sprain seems minor enough, so I hope I'll be able to hop around without the need for a crutch in a day or two. Having enjoyed my time here on Montserrat very much, I recently stopped to think about things that I won't be missing about this place. Always good to keep a bit of perspective from both sides, I guess? So here's the (slightly candid) list of things I probably won't miss when I leave.

1) The high number of drivers here who don't dim their headlights when they approach oncoming traffic. I can't emphasize how annoying (and potentially unsafe) that is, so this makes the top of the list.

2) The lack of British TV channels and the Beeb with their ad-free programming. The mindlessly numbing, incessantly frequent ad breaks on American TV could be easily mistaken for a mild form of waterboarding.

3) Banks that shut at 2pm. C'mon, really? It's almost like a half-bank holiday everyday here.

4) The inexplicable amount of roadworks (for a small-ish island), traffic diversions and road blocks - not quite handy during peak hour or when the diversion means driving three or four times the distance on a limited set of roads. Having said that, this is probably an everyday London scenario as well anyway.

5) No sushi on the island. Whatsoever.

And of course, looking at the other side of things, here's a list of the top 5 (slightly irrelevant but yet so charming) things I'll miss about Montserrat. Apart from the obvious things like the weather, beaches and steel pans.

1) The causality of strolling into a rum shop, ordering a drink and liming out by the roadside while spectating a game of dominoes.

2) Getting on the small seven-seater Britten-Norman Islander to and from Antigua and admiring the island by air.

3) Understanding how to work around a restaurant system here where the à la carte selection in a Montserrat restaurant is smaller and more unpredictable than a table d'hôte selection at Strada.

4) Not having to lock my car or remove the car key whenever I park.

5) The tastiness that is goat water.

Photos from the jubilee recital are now ready, and they all look pretty brilliant. All photos posted below are taken by Wayne Fenton.

Leading the newly-formed MSS steel pan ensemble.

Pan player Essalene M., Form 3.

Jo headlining the recital with her first-half performance.

The steel pan players performing Hold My Hand.

Filipe performing some self-written works.

Filipe & myself doing some free improvisation.

Reminiscent of our SEZENYŪM days.

Performing our collaborative piece written for Montserrat.

Leading the Montserrat Youth Choir.

The finale of the evening.

I've just received word that response for this project placement next year has been very positive, and I am excited to see who will be taking my place come September. We'll find out soon enough!

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.

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.

Royals & Masquerades

The previous Friday, 2 Mar 2012, was the day of the royal visit by the Earl and Countess of Wessex, who spent a day at Montserrat as part of the The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Tour. This was to be one of the royal couple's stops on their nine-country tour around the Caribbean. This was, of course, big news for the island - weeks of preparation were dedicated during the lead-up to this visit, although I must admit the biggest benefit I received from all this was that all the pot-holes on the road were being filled - albeit only those that were on the 'royal route'.

Prince Eddie and Princess Sophie got off on a busy morning start, after mooring off the coast of Montserrat - an RFA ship which I'm sure has been outfitted for more luxurious guests. Well, better than a luxury yacht, given these times of austerity. Activities amongst their tour included an investiture, the opening of the Little Bay market (which I hear has been 'opened' for what is the sixth time now - every time a royal visit occurs, the market is opened, even though the market is never used on a regular basis), a visit to the MVO and watching a primary school steel orchestra at Blakes football field. I was present at the last event, just to soak up a bit of the royal atmosphere, wave a flag and generally be a good empire subject.

Children welcoming the royal couple.

My MSS students in the masquerade get-up.

The primary school pan orchestra in the background.

There was also a masquerade dance performance presented to the royal couple, something which I gathered seems to be a uniquely Montserratian dance tradition. It is both a ritual and celebratory element of folk music, with dancers donning bright costumes, voluminous adornments, colourful masks and even a whip. It 'whipper' appears to be the 'leader' of the dance, summoning and dismissing different dancers in the ensemble. This dance is accompanied on the fife and drums.

Masquerade dancers performing for the royal couple.

The popular prince.

And after twelve short hours, the earl and countess headed back to their ship before setting off for what I believe was St Kitts, where they would be treated to a somewhat similar programme. Must be hard, the life of a royal!