In a celebration of music and community, the BP Marionettes will once again present their mid-year concert series: Hearts Beat Together 3, from Friday July 6 to Sunday July 8 at various venues in Port-of-Spain and in east Trinidad.
This year’s production holds special significance for the Marionettes, as it signals the start of the choir’s 55th anniversary celebrations scheduled to run from July this year until July 2019. Added to that, the chorale will team up with the St. Joseph’s Convent (PoS) Choir for one of the performances, evoking sweet memories of its early moorings when Marionettes was founded by teachers and students of the school.
With this major milestone to its credit, the third edition of Hearts Beat Together will feature the Adult, Youth, and Children’s Choirs performing a range of music under the batons of Artistic and Musical Director Gretta Taylor and Assistant Musical Director Dr. Roger Henry.
Patrons will be superbly serenaded with spirituals, gospel, Broadway and calypso classics arranged by Desmond Waithe. Classical music lovers can especially look forward to the beautifully written Mass for the Children by English composer John Rutter. Featuring prominently in this segment will be Brian de Fereire (baritone) and Hermina Charles (soprano).
Not to be left out are the Marionettes’ many 2018 Music Festival winners — Dominique Akal, Camille Nicholas, Brendon John, Jake Salloum, and Annalise Emmanuel, performing a variety of genres sure to find favour with audiences.
Between July 2016 and December last year, the Marionettes has successfully raised some $750,000 over 16 performances for the upgrade and restoration of several churches and places of worship. Proceeds of this year’s Hearts Beat Together 3 will benefit upgrade and restoration works of All Saints Anglican Church, the St Joseph’s Convent (Port of Spain) Chapel, and the construction of the Maloney Anglican Church.
In a relationship which dates back to 1972 and still forges on today, BP Trinidad & Tobago (bpTT) remains an invaluable support of the Marionettes’ artistic endeavours and community partnerships.
Hearts Beat Together 3 takes place at All Saints Anglican Church, Marli Street, Port of Spain on Friday July 6 (7.30pm); St. Joseph’s Convent Chapel, Abercromby Street, Port of Spain on Saturday July 7 (7.00pm); and St. Mary’s Anglican Church Parish Hall, corner Priority Bus Route and Orange Grove Road, Tacarigua on Sunday July 8 (5.00pm).
Tickets are currently available at $150 from the All Saints Church Office (627-7004); St Joseph’s Convent (POS) office (625-4502) and Past Pupils Association (752-1801); St. Mary’s Church office (640-4429); from choir members; and from the Marionettes production team: (790-1751) and orders@marionetteschorale.com). For more information visit the group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/marionetteschorale.
ABOUT THE MARIONETTES
Founded in 1963, incorporated as a non-profit organisation in 2005, and sponsored by bpTT since 1972, the Marionettes is one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated choirs, both at home and abroad. In 1995, the Youth Chorale was formed, followed by the formation of the Children’ Choir in 2012. With a longstanding commitment to community partnerships, the choirs have raised over TT$3 million dollars in the last decade, in aid of the restoration of national monuments, help for victims of domestic violence, regional hurricane relief efforts, cancer treatment and prevention, mentoring and rehabilitation programmes for at-risk youth, and care for those with HIV/AIDS and the terminally ill. For more, visit marionetteschorale.com.
The Trinidad and Tobago Performing Arts Network 