Celebrate Jamaica’s rich musical heritage
Published:Friday | October 28, 2022 | 12:06 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
An interesting advertisement appeared in The Gleaner on the February 11, 1881, inviting persons interested in the formation of “Harmonic Choir Class” to meet at the Freemasons Hall, Harbour Street, at 7 p.m. for “the purpose of receiving pupils”. This was one of the efforts of Thomas Ellis Jackson to form the Kingston Choral Union, which later became known as the Jamaica Choir.
According to historian Professor Joy Lumsden, “this group existed in Kingston, Jamaica, from 1882 up to World War One (WWI)”, that’s 140 years ago! Most noteworthy, it “was an entirely Black Jamaican organisation”. Dr Lumsden also highlighted that “its most remarkable achievements were its tours of the UK in 1906, and 1907-8”.
On January 4, 1906 the choir left the island for Bristol and then Liverpool where they appeared at the colonial products exhibition for Welsh entrepreneur Alred Lewis Jones, who had large business interests in Jamaica. The invitation to the choir resulted from a discovery made by James Johnson, a member of the Legislative Council in Kingston, while travelling in England, that the British knew nothing about Jamaica. In other words, Black Jamaicans’ performance overseas predates post-Independence musicians.
MEMBERS OF SPECIAL INTEREST
Among its members of special interest are: T. Ellis Jackson, director; Henry Nation, pianist; Adeline McDermott, ‘Jamaica’s Black Patti’; Carlton Bryan, bass and comic singer; J. Packer Ramsey, bass; C. Lipscombe Barnes, pianist and organist.
The Kingston Choral Union (KCU) predates the Jamaica Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra that was formed July 1, 1940 in the living room at ‘Carloville’, 4 Central Avenue in Kingston Gardens, as the Surrey Philharmonic Orchestra. The KCU is among the great things that Black Jamaicans achieved between 1838 and 1938 that have been intentionally forgotten as musical pioneers in a group whose “extensive repertoire includes classical, popular and Jamaican items”. A Gleaner report describes the choir as “hav[ing] earned a reputation that few amateur societies have ever acquired, and their concerts are attended by the elite of the city. We commend this entertainment to the public and bespeak for them a full house” (June 9, 1884).
Let us celebrate our musical heritage, remembering those who first introduced Jamaica through music to England 116 years ago, and whose works dominated, to a large extent, the popular music scene in Jamaica before WWI.
DUDLEY MCLEAN II
Mandeville, Manchester