Island Brew

Sorrel, also known as  Hibiscus, Roselle or Bissap, is a stunning magenta flower that blooms in December right here in Saint Lucia. I understand that there are some 232 different species, so I'm not sure which one I have here.

Each robust flower is an unique entity: succulent corolla curling out over a spiked calyx. Weighty and curvaceous, the blooms may be as long as 3-4 inches and a single flower fills your palm. Local lore attributes miraculous healing powers to this hefty blossom. Curative benefits are claimed from anti-cancer properties to weight loss.



After harvesting lemon grass from the beach and investing in  local curls of cinnamon bark and thumbs of ginger root, I'm now ready to brew the famous island treat: Christmas Punch.   I understand from my students that their families prepared liter after liter over the holiday week.  There is never enough!  Kids love this holiday treat over ice with sugar syrup and cloves.  Adults enjoy it with a lemon wedge and plenty of Bounty rum, of course.

Futures Field Trip

Khaia, Kristina, Kwan and Terry

Four, fearless, five-year olds are saving the environment.  Our Music in Action team from the Saint Lucia School of Music has set forth to spread the word about Principal 10, legislation to protect the island from corruption and pollution. First stop- the local radio station!

After mastering a one-minute radio jingle in just two takes at Radio St. Lucia (RSL), this ace team surveys the  coastline and nearby transmitter tower.  Perhaps they are considering their long futures and how to set their sites on improving bad adult behavior that destroys the ocean and beaches?  Or, perhaps, that shaggy dog in the transmitter shed wants to play?

Posing for a photo opportunity with engineer and anchor, Liz-Anne, these students are proud their voices are now being heard. Keep an eye out for these young environmentalists in 2017.  You can expect to see press releases outlining their endeavors and read more about Principal 10 as it relates to clean up in Latin and Caribbean countries.

Tree Time

Upper Strings Family

Being away from family and home on Christmas Day provides me with time and space to reflect on the spirit of the holyday. Where is home? Who is family?  What are traditions?

The one constant of the season here is the ubiquitous Christmas tree.  Kids love to decorate it. Oldsters enjoy sharing songs and stories around it.  And, everyone gets their picture taken next to it.

Gene leads Calypso Caroling

Decorating Committee Kids

In the West Indies, gone is the the traditional Christmas card. Brightly colored jpg texts featuring hallmark sentiments  begin pinging at dawn. Carols set to Calypso grooves replace English hymns in the supermarket and the club.  Instead of firecrackers,  homemade, kerosene bamboo cannons burst the night.

Instant families of ex-pats congregate wherever is convenient (under trees in hotels and shopping malls!) to remember the season and celebrate new traditions.  We like what we know, but being abroad for the holidays gives one an opportunity to know what we like.

Christmas Weak

Winter holidays in the Caribbean provide a tropical twist on an ancient theme.  Salesgirls in "fur"trimmed velveteen mini dresses and classic Santa hats sprout up along the city streets.  400 year old English Carols from across the ocean are performed on steel pan cut from oil drums. A shed sized creche rests in yonder shopping mall courtyard baking in the afternoon sun.

I know that today's date is December 23rd.  I know my two brothers have arrived from overseas to visit mom in the States. My conscious mind grapples with the cognitive dissonance of palm trees and sandy beaches instead of slushy wintry mix and long cold nights.

Despite the plethora of performances, this week still does not feel like Christmas...yet!  Only the silent procession of slowly moving traffic and extended shopping mall hours give a jingle that something festive is afoot.

Antlers and Bows

The ARC boat race culminated with an awards ceremony Saturday, and the nautical holiday season continues with a performance at the Rodney Bay Marina Sunday.  Yachters are preparing to sail onto their next ports; Antigua, Martinique, Venezuela...but, an approaching weather system gives them pause.  In the meantime, there are carols to sing and silly hats to wear.






The Chamber Orchestra sets up under a tent near the boardwalk overlooking berths containing 110- foot yachts and charter vessels.  The students are now masters and have settled into a comfortably conductor-less group.  The concert mistress leads from her seat in the first violin section.










While the orchestra plays, I work.  The dim stage needs lights and sound reinforcement for the dulcet strings. Only tables within 25-feet can truly appreciate the efforts of the teenagers.  So, I set off with my donation can to raise funds to purchase lights and sound for the enterprising ensemble.  I'm impressed with the generosity of the patrons and always eager the hear their first impressions.  A string orchestra in the Caribbean is an anomaly.  Nothing about the climate and culture here supports what these young people are doing. This stark contrast arouses interest and assistance especially in this "most wonderful" season of giving.

Weather or Not

As climate patterns change around the world, the climate of Saint Lucia is experiencing a world of change.  I can easily remember this little island is a third world country as I make my way down this soggy path each day.  With daily deluges and torrents of water streaming down the mountains, our little road becomes a river.

Enterprising bridge builders place and replace boards, rock and bricks to make passage. One neighbor carries a change of shoes.  I'm mesmerized by the emergent rock garden resulting from the combined forces of man and nature.  A herd of cattle grazing on the lush grass adds to the unpredictable travel!

Caribbean Arches

The Arch of Bows is a tradition adapted from West Point Military Academy.  Of course, the cadets use swords and are a bit more organized, but the display of ceremony and honor are similar.   In my previous position as Orchestra Director in Wilmington, MA, we always enjoyed initiating new members into the ensemble by forming an arch with violin bows and inviting members to walk through.  As performers join or exit the program, the arch awaits as a metaphor for passage.

Our End of Term Concert at the Saint Lucia School of Music coincided with the departure of six teachers from Venezuela.  These talented young people arrived ten weeks ago to share their knowledge of El Sistema and assist in the musical education of Lucian youth. As the beaming teachers proceeded shyly beneath the canopy of raised bows, each was warmly greeted at the end by the Executive Director with a sparkling goodie bag.

It's not every school concert that is hosted by an ambassador.  Her Excellency, Leiff Escalona, the Venezuelan ambassador formally greeted the public and students and then expounded on the continuing musical relationship between the two countries. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has been dedicated to to increasing music appreciation in Saint Lucia since 2013.  Her husband sat proudly in the audience anticipating the his young daughter's first performance with the choir.

Holiday Notes

Chad and Cello Santa

The start of holiday season coincides with the end of the first school trimester in Saint Lucian schools.  Students have completed exams and are eager to enjoy a much needed break.  Not at the Saint Lucia School of Music. There the music never stops.  Young musicians are prepared to perform the  end of term recitals and Christmas concerts right up to, and including, Christmas Day.

Homemade Awards

Cupcake Wreath

In the SLSM Strings Dept, performance classes allow young people to practice the art of performing in the classroom.  No uncomfortable clothes, forbidding stage or distant audience.  The Strings Family comes together to welcome the newest members of the department and celebrate the old.

The ad hoc reception includes homemade "Sour" Orange Juice and a Christmas wreath composed of chocolate and vanilla cupcakes under a crown of garish, green fondant.  Small prizes for everyone who performs and that cozy festive feeling for everyone in the room.

Most Wonderful Time

Lucian Nutcracker

 It's beginning to feel a little like Christmas.  If it weren't for holiday lights and decorations strung up across Saint Lucia, I wouldn't have been able  to remember this occasion.  Holidays here are celebrated much like in the States, with fake snow and plastic conifers, but winter coats are optional.

We are so close to the equator, weather doesn't change much from season to season.  In fact, there are only two seasons: rainy and dry, with a smattering of tropical storms throughout.  Tuesday, school was canceled because of too much rain!

Carols by the Tree

Like most countries during the winter season, school children gather in malls and churches to perform holiday carols and upbeat music. Unlike most countries, many of the groups are steel pan and drumming ensembles. The Saint Lucia School of Music Chamber Orchestra is an anomaly and performs several times a week during December, including Christmas Day. Bystanders are surprised and delighted to see the proficiency and professionalism of these orchestral musicians in a third world setting.

Post-performance Pizza Party

And, like most everywhere in the world, holiday performances include food and togetherness. After all, it is still, "The most wonderful time of the year."