By Teino Evans, Staff Reporter"AN EXCELLENT group, one of the best Adventist choirs around that has always maintained a high standard." That is how one member of the Adventist community describes the Adventist Praise Chorale.
The Adventist Praise Chorale, which was formed in 1995, has a membership of around 30 strong and draws upon talented voices from various Seventh-Day Adventist churches in the Corporate Area. The Chorale maintains a classical focus and participates primarily in services of worship throughout Jamaica.
Choir director, Verley G. Brown, who has been very instrumental in the development and direction of the ensemble, says that if there is a distinctive feature about the Chorale, it's their ability to maintain quality.
"The chorale has a lot of potential for excellence. We have been presenting music across Jamaica for various audiences and I believe that the Chorale will continue to provide good, quality music for the Jamaican music-lover and other special church congregations," Brown said.
Brown says they generally don't focus a lot on gospel, but more on contemporary and
classical music. Brown, who has been with the Chorale since 1996, says it can be very difficult to maintain at times, as members have either migrated, while others sometimes get discouraged.
MUSIC
"The music is not as popular as gospel music and there is a type of hip-hop music that has taken over, so you may find that members get discouraged at times," he explained.
However, despite the difficulties, the Adventist Praise Chorale has been doing quite well, and has a few awards and international tours to its credit.
In 1996 the Chorale won first prize with honours in the choir section of the Association of Music Teachers Classical Music Competition, and from 1998 through to 2000 toured the United States with the Andrews Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church Choir, making stops in places like Miami, New York and Boston.
The Chorale also appeared in concert with the New England Youth Ensemble in 2000, directed by Dr. Virginia Rittenhouse, and was featured in a performance in Antigua.
Not only does the Chorale perform to encourage its audiences to meditate on the Creator, Redeemer and Friend, Jesus Christ, but it is also a means of encouragement to its own members.
Denise Grant, who has been a member for 10 years, says it "has been a very rewarding and fulfilling experience, because the chorale presents classical music which is very dear to my heart. I have developed, both in terms of my own voice and my range of knowledge in music."
The chorale has rehearsals three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays), stepping up the pace when major shows are close.
In recent years, the Adventist Praise Chorale has hosted and performed at several classical concerts with the National Chorale of Jamaica, The University Singers, internationally acclaimed artistes such as bass-baritone Dr. Curtis Watson, Mrs. Pauline Forrest Watson and Edward Cumberbatch.
Their most recent appearances include those at the Meadowvale Seventh-Day Adventist Church's 'Inspirational Classics' in November 2004 with Boston-based organist/pianist Dr. Keastner Robertson and yesterday's (February 26th) concert at the Karram Speid Auditorium, Merle Grove High School, Constant Spring Road.
