Contributed
Rosina Moder ... How can a fantastic group like ASHE have nowhere to rehearse?
Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer
Fifty musicians and 70 singers occupy a lot of space, the music they create reaching far beyond their physical location. At the Independence Day Grand Gala, the National Orchestra and Choir filled the National Stadium with their instruments and voices, Jamaica Calling and the Hallelujah Chorus (combined with kumina drumming) among the songs that they played.
Even before that, though, and since then, having made a commitment to keep the orchestra and choir going, the dirge of homelessness has been an unwanted addition to their repertoire.
Rosina Moder, coordinator of the National Orchestra and Choir of Jamaica, points out that it is not the only performing arts group which does not have a permanent base, asking "how can a fantastic group like ASHE have nowhere to rehearse?" Groups like Nexxus are also in the same homeless situation.
Just as realisation of the instability of renting often does not hit until the tenant falls out with the landlord, the implications of the National Choir and Orchestra not having a base did not hit home until this year. The auditorium at the School of Music, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, was used to prepare the ensemble for the 2008 Grand Gala (performing as the Jamaica Festival Orchestra and Choir). They also played at the October 2008 Golden Gala, celebrating Jamaica's triumphs at the Beijing Olympics.
This year, rehearsals were a somewhat nomadic experience, held at the School of Drama for two nights and then the Sts Peter and Paul church hall. As much as Moder appreciates the makeshift accommodation, it simply is not enough.
She envisions a centre "where every night of the week another group can rehearse. It needs to be a larger building, which we would eventually soundproof. It would be nice to find an old building".
Moder says while it would be nice to utilise one of the warehouses in downtown Kingston, it would not be practical as many persons do not drive and "some nights we do not stop before midnight.
"I am coming from a country where we love old buildings. We can put in the wooden floor we want," Moder said. That flooring is key to the natural acoustics which are required, Moder saying "It should not have an echo, but it should not be so dry."
Rehearse
She points out that a number of rooms are needed, as musicians and singers need to rehearse separately and then combine. In addition, different sets of musicians (such as violinists) need to rehearse individually.
Moder points out that an orchestra needs a continuous training programme. "The people you call, the least you can give them is the training," she said.
She points out that if there was a performing centre, the orchestra would immediately begin an instrument drive, saying that there are excellent musicians who do not own an instrument. And there is a real shortage of an instrument like the double bass.
The centre would not be used only for rehear-sal but also performance, Moder's eyes glowed as she said "If it has a garden you can have indoor and outdoor events," and speaking about classical musicians getting together and performing for fun. Moder emphasises that a lot of classical music was meant for sheer entertainment.
Typical perception
Short of outright ownership, she would be happy with a long lease "and the government could help us repair it through foreign grants".
Moder points out that, contrary to what might be the typical perception of an orchestra, the National Orchestra and Choir has "more Jamaican pieces in its repertoire. We are in the century of fusion. Jamaican music has a lot of potential," Moder said.
Even without a home, the National Orchestra and Choir is committed to a combined rehearsal once a month, with the orchestra doing an additional monthly rehearsal.
And, in the long run, she would love to have community centres in each parish, replicating the role of the one she dreams of.
"The centre should never be for classical music and the orchestra. It should be an all-embracing thing," Moder said.
Rosina Moder emphasises that a practice space of little value without room being made for performance. She says the University Chapel would be ideal for performers and audience in a chamber concert (a smaller group of musicians would be drawn from the National Orchestra to make the Samuel Felsted Chamber Orchestra). On the other hand, the Ward Theatre in downtown Kingston would suit a large orchestra and choir, with room for about 800 spectators.
In the practice space, there should be room for not only the choir and orchestra to rehearse separately and then together, as well as rooms for groups of musicians to train, but there is also need for critical services.
Moder points out that there is no luthier (someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments) in Jamaica. "We have a lot of instruments here, but a lot of them need repairs or overhauling," Moder told The Sunday Gleaner. Fortunately, members of the Jamaica Defence Force can take care of the wind instruments.
Also, the instruments obtained through a sustained drive would have space for safe storage.
It would also be possible to better preserve music on paper, so that generations to come could benefit from it. "You could start your library. The music that is performed should be there 20, 30 years later. The musical director will change, but the music will be there," Moder said.
Concert season
The lack of continuity has affected the movement towards a national orchestra before, Moder pointing out previous efforts, such as the Jamaica Philharmonic Orchestra organised by Sythorpe Beckett. "He was passionate. He flew in people from Germany once a year for his concert season," Moder said. Beckett used the YMCA at the corner of Trafalgar and Hope roads as his base and when there was a fire there, he lost his records.
There was also the orchestra from the National Chorale some 25 to 30 years ago, as well as the Jamaica Orchestra for Youth (JOY), organised by Dr Olive Lewin. Currently, Immaculate Conception High has what Moder describes as "an exceptional orchestra", crediting Steven Woodham for his work.
- Mel Cooke