In this edition:

1. Launch of School Steelband Festival 2001:
   A Tribute to the Lord Kitchener
2. Pan News: Launch of "Pan in Art"
   
3. Pan Notes: Neville York's "Sweet Salt"
4. Pan Events

1. Launch of School Steelband Festival 2001: A Tribute to the Lord Kitchener

The media launch of the School Steelband Music Festival took place at the Clubhouse of the Queen's Park Savannah on Wednesday 24th October, 2001. The Chairman of the Pan in Schools Coordinating Council (PSCC), Mr. Teddy Belgrave spoke about the vision of the festival in terms of making pan an integral part of the curricula of the nation's schools through its Pan In Schools project.

The Pan in Schools Project (PSP) comes under the auspices of the Ministries of Culture and Education and Pan Trinbago. Its mission is to create a policy for pan in the national school system, to raise the issue of pan among students, and to create among them a commitment to, and sense of identity with, the national instrument. In addition, the project aims to sensitize the nation's young persons to the possibility of building a career from the steel pan. It is anticipated that the Pan in Schools Project will have an implementation period of five years and a budget of six million dollars.

This tenth edition of the Schools Music Festival will usher in many changes. Chief among these, is the addition of a Rhythm and Blues category for the tune of choice entry for orchestras. According to Mr. Belgrave, this new category has been introduced to broaden the musical perspective of the participants and to heighten their interest in the festival. Another innovation is the introduction of a fringe festival, which is sponsored in part by bp Amoco Trinidad and Tobago. The fringe festival includes a quiz on the life of the late Lord Kitchener, an essay, creative writing, poetry and art competitions.

The core festival has been able to attract more than sixty schools in a variety of categories including soloists, ensembles and orchestras. Mr. Belgrave welcomed some secondary schools back into the festival. Particular mention was made of Pleasantville Senior Comprehensive the alma mater of Liam Teague, Queens Royal College from Port of Spain, Holy Faith Convent from Couva and St. Stephens College from Moruga. The following table gives an update of the festival dates. Interested persons are invited to contact the secretariat at 868-623-0310.

2. Pan News     [back to top]

Pan in Art

In an effort to create, develop and sustain local, regional and international markets for the steelpan, Sanch Electronics has launched a new initiative for 2002. The new multimedia calendar called Pan in Art 2002, measures 18" x 11" and consists of six information pages plus an introductory page and cover. The artwork is taken from the covers of six CDs released by Sanch over the last two years. The releases are printed on 135gm, UV coated gloss art paper and the calendars are packaged in customized envelopes.

The calendar is not a collector's item because of its aesthetics but also because of the useful information it provides about the steelpan. The images can be preserved by framing or laminating.

Each calendar costs $30.00 per unit plus VAT. For quantities of 25 or more, the cost is $25.00 plus VAT. Interested persons are asked to contact Sanch Electronics at 868-663-1384 or visit their website at www.sanch.com.

3. Pan Notes     [back to top]

New from St. Maarten come the fresh sounds of Neville York's "Sweet Salt". This debut CD fully explores the diversity of Mr. York's musical knowledge and expertise. "Sweet Salt" brings together the totality of Afro Caribbean rhythms such as kaladja, mende, toumblak, calypso, soca, baiao, salsa, songo, bosa nova, samba, reggae, beguine and mazurka. Mr. York has also assembled a sterling cast of Caribbean musicians to take the listener on this journey through all the islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Marshall Vente, Jim Batson, Jose Gregario, Terry Connell and Coguillace Heliar. Mr. York's double seconds were tuned by pan virtuoso, Mr. Clifford Alexis.

"Sweet Salt" features twelve tracks that "awaken us from the nightmares of history taking us beyond the Middle Passage and Negro Renaissance into a universal culture characteristic of Pan-Human identity" (St. Maarten historian, Camille E. Baly). The first six tracks are original compositions of the artiste, which expound on the Caribbean theme. The last six tracks are interpretations of European classical music of Bach, Beethoven, Pachelbel and Shubert.

Neville York was interested in pan music from an early age and felt that he could use this instrument to spread love through his music. Like Trinidad and Tobago's Liam Teague, Mr. York attended Northern Illinois University's Music Programme where he obtained both his Bachelor of Arts (1991) and Master of Music (1993) degrees in Comprehensive Music. Mr. York's musical prowess earned him membership in Phi Kappa Lambda, National Music Honour Society in 1993.

The twelve tracks include:

• Viagem de Regresso
• Song of Songs
• Princesa del Caribe
• Sweet Salt
• Belief
• Mystical Moment
• Adagio Cantabile
• Panis Angelicus
• Variation on a Theme of Kitchener
• Ave Maria
• Air on a G String
• Canon in D

Persons in interested in finding out more about the artist and his music can visit his website, www.jazzflamboyant.com or email him at nevilleyork@hotmail.com or call at (011) 599-543-7006. Ten percent of every CD sold will go towards the St. Maarten National Steel Orchestra Foundation.

4. Pan Events     [back to top]

Pan on the Vidalia Piazza

Pan on the Vidalia Piazza has three of the best steel orchestras lined up on its menu for the month of November.

Saturday November 10, 2001 - TCL Skiffle Bunch
Saturday November 17, 2001 - Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars
Saturday November 24, 2001 - bp Renegades

Interested persons are asked to contact The Normandie Hotel at 624-1181 ext 4355 for more information. The cost of dinner and the show is $125.00 and the cost of the entertainment alone is $30.00. Dinner is served between 7.30 - 10.30 p.m.

Pan on the Park

Pan Trinbago's Pan on the Park closes off with parang for the year 2002. The next eight shows entitled Parang and Steel, celebrate two indigenous art forms of Trinidad and Tobago, pan and parang, during a short Christmas season. The following bands promise to fill the audience with Christmas cheer.

Pan Jazz at Cordials

Cordials Restaurant and Bar situated at the corner of Picton Street and Tragerette Road introduces pan jazz on a Sunday evening. The shows begin at 6.00 p.m.

The shows scheduled for this month are:

Invited parties are asked to contact Cordials at 628-8727 for more details.