The sounds of the upcoming Yuletide season are among the works to be presented next as the National Youth Orchestra of Jamaica (NYOJ) presents a free community concert entitled ‘Musical Enlightenment’.
The event, which is set for the auditorium at the St Joseph’s Teacher’a College in Kingston starting at 4:00 pm, will feature the senior members of the orchestra and the advanced chamber groups performing classical, folk and Jamaican favorites. The event will also provide newer NYOJ students with a platform to showcase all they have learned throughout the past term.
Executive director of the NYOJ, Karen Prentice, explained to the Jamaica Observer that next week’s event is coming together nicely.
“It’s all working out pretty well. We will have more than 200 students from about 49 different schools represented in the orchestra and this is just amazing. It is all taking shape and students are coming in from as far as our center in Port Antonio to be part of this event, and we can’t wait. One of the highlights will be the finale which will see the orchestra playing Christmas carols and the audience will be able to sing along. We are pretty excited,” Prentice said.
In addition to Christmas music, the evening’s program will feature a mix of music from various genres including, pop, classical and folk.
This will be the first time over 200 students from across NYOJ’s eight classical music training centers will come together for a concert. The NYOJ recently began a collaboration with the Catholic church in Portland to teach classical music to students in Port Antonio for free. Students from the NYOJ’s center at the South Camp Correctional facility, as well as the newest center in downtown Kingston, will also be participating in the concert.
The NYOJ is a non-profit, non-government organisation which began in 2009. It is driven by its mission to develop youth orchestras in Jamaica using classical music as a tool to inspire, empower and enhance the lives of at-risk youth.
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