About The Show
Voices will take place inside Dominica’s historic Arawak House of Culture on July 6th 2012.
Audiences will be transported on a delightful cultural and musical journey.
VOICES will showcase chorale pieces in a variety of musical idioms including Western art music, negro spirituals, American and Caribbean pop; the ‘Voices’ from different eras, allow the choristers and audience alike to develop an appreciation for cultural multiplicity. We are rehearsing hard to ensure that we present a highly entertaining package to all our viewers.
SFSS Director Pearle Christian
VOICES will also include a mini Caribbean folk drama told in quatrains. The popular Caribbean folk segment features classic folk favourites including Lamou Mwen- my love by Dominica’s beloved folk music writer, arranger and composer Jean Lawrence Mathurin and Long Time Gyal from Jamaica.
In addition the webcast will feature behind the scenes footage of the Choir as they prepare for the show as well as a look at the two charities benefiting from this event.
Annually the Chorale honors cultural stalwarts for their contributions in Chorale music in Dominica; This year Ms. Carmel Agar will be the recipient.
About This Year’s Honoree
Mrs. Carmel Agar
Ms. Carmel Agar still remembers falling asleep to Scottish and Irish airs and dances during regular evenings at home with her father and older sisters or leading friends and relatives in music making, with the violin (fiddle) and piano. For Ms. Agar the youngest of 12 children, music has been entrenched in every aspect of her life from a very young age.
Agar studied voice with Gloria Jones following the Royal Schools of Music syllabus ( ABRSM) and her love of music inevitably followed her into an far reaching career ranging in focus from teacher/facilitator to performer.
Ms. Agar has taught at the then popular but now defunct Kairi School of Music in Dominica, served as choir director at the Roseau Cathedral and led group singing and dances in all branches of the Social League, and Young Christian Workers.
She has taught at various education institutions on the island including St Martin’s Primary School where she directed annual productions for staff and students in particular, pageantry song and dance in thirteen scenes from Shakespeare. She has been instrumental in creating music program and syllabus for the Convent High School. Ms. Agar was a member of the first Dominican team in Early Childhood Education (UWI Department of Education, Jamaica), launched at the Social Centre, and was responsible for adapting and teaching the music component at regular teacher workshops, and supervising teachers in the classrooms around Dominica
Her Performance Accolades include singing with Chorale Dominique- Richard Aquuar Harrison, The Dominica National Chorale with Edith Bellot and Riversong with Cedric Phillip
