The weather on Wednesday evening was a bit cold and rainy but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the throngs that made the trek to Independence Square.
They went there with intentions of having a fun-filled family affair, compliments of the Royal Commonwealth Society-sponsored Christmas concert billed Barbados Defence Force (BDF) In The City and they were not disappointed
The event featured live music from the combined BDF and the Barbados Cadet Corp band, members of the Barbados Regiment, the Cadet Corp and children of BDF soldiers.
In spite of some intermittent showers, many locals and visitors, some visiting from as far as Italy and France, had an entertaining time as they mixed, mingled and enjoyed the variety of seasonal music offered. When they weren’t singing along to the sweet sounds of traditional favourites from Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, they were dancing among the beautifully decorated Christmas trees to the rhythmic sounds of Red Plastic Bag’s Maizie while capturing the goings-on for posterity.
The concert opened fittingly with the BDF and the Cadet Corp, under the directorship of Colour Sergeant Brian Cole, performing the Kenny/Dolly’s 1984 classic The Greatest Gift Of All, before treating the audience lounged in the amphitheatre to a medley of songs including Jingle Bells, We Wish You A Merry Christmas and Santa Baby.
Their repertoire also included Caribbean treasures like Carlene Davis’ Santa Claus, Lord Kitchener’s Drink Ah Rum and arguably, no Bajan Christmas concert could be complete without Maizie, which definitely rocked the entire Bridgetown.
The programme also unearthed some of the talents within the corps, such as cadet under officer Jeesha Samuel, whose renditions of White Christmas and Jesus Born On This Day saw her receive a standing ovation and a rousing applause. Likewise, the men of the Barbados Regiment were a treat and they received a deserving encore for a highlight refreshing and energetic performance of While Shepherds.
The Stanford twin, Shaniqua andSharadd initially experienced some technical difficulty, but their vocals proved to be their redeeming feature with two impactful interpretations of That’s Christmas To Me and Do You Hear What I Hear. The curtain closed on the 90-minute concert when the cast gave a lively rendition of Feliz Navidad. (SDB Media)
