From left: Phylicia Ricketts, Althea Neblett and Joanne Saddler play 'Processional' by George Frederick Handel at the Jamaica Young People Symphony concert at the Little Theatre, on Saturday. - Contributed Photos

Young classical musicians married contemporary, folk and classical sounds in an awe-inspiring display at the third staging of the Jamaica Young People Symphony (JYPS) concert season last Saturday.

The show was refreshing in structure and elegant in presentation and devoid of any signs of differences in their training methods, whether through the traditional London School of Music syllabus, or the Suzuki Method.

Likewise, the differences in age and experience of the young performers, who were primarily secondary and tertiary students, became irrelevant when they raised their instruments on the instruction of conductor Albert Shaun Hird. And, on each raising of their instruments, the walls of the Little Theatre on Tom Redcam Avenue reverberated with music from the classical period to the contemporary.

The instruments were predominantly the violin, but there were clarinets, 'cellos and oboes, instruments that the average young Jamaican would shy away from. The young musicians gave commanding servings of the Jerome Kern-composed Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and one of the audience's favourites (receiving loud applause from them), a medley of Jamaican folk songs - Evening Time, Day O and Emmanuel Road. Also beautifully delivered were the Jacques Offenbach-composed Barcolle, Gerando Matos Rodriguez-composed La Cumparsita, and the Scott Joplin-composed The Entertainer.

Most of the pieces in the approximately two-hour long programme, as expected, were performed by the smartly dressed JYPS ensemble. However, Gabriel's Oboe (composed by Ennio Morricone) was treated with the skill and care of Barbadian soloist Dr Althea Neblett playing, of course, the oboe, with assistance from Joanne Saddler and Phylicia Ricketts on flute and clarinet, respectively.

The most delightful moment of the programme came in a performance by The Little Violin Stars That Twinkle. The group, with members ranging from ages five to 16, was heart-warming in its rendition of Small World and Twinkle Little Star.

The concert ended with a fine arrangement of Marley's Medley by Paulette Bellamy and Moyah Gibson. Gibson, the founder of the JYPS, explained her reasons for staging the concert.

"I want to show that there is no one official teaching philosophy for playing the violin," said Gibson, who is an advocate of the Suzuki Method.

The Suzuki Method was developed by Japanese Dr Shinichi Suzuki in 1945. It allows students to begin playing the violin as early as two years old, but Gibson prefers to begin with five-years-old. The main difference between this method and other methods is that the Suzuki Method allows students to play from memory, before going on to reading notes.

"The Suzuki Method is simply fun. It creates a family environment, as parents are involved," Gibson said.

Shanique Hylton, a member of the JYPS, who learned to play the violin through the Suzuki Method, said she enjoyed the process. And when asked why she had chosen to play the violin, she replied, "I like the sound; it is soothing and relaxing."

Conductor Albert Shaun Hird