THE Franciscan Ministries revealed that Classical Harmony, its high-end production fund-raising concert wasn’t sold-out and appealed for more support for local orchestras.

Despite about one-third of the seats remaining empty and the presence of a stack of unused programmes the organisers vowed to make the event an annual occurrence.

“We had a dickance of a time selling tickets…but even if we do not make money we will still do it again next year because the orchestra was so excellent,” stated Grace Yap, director of the Franciscan Ministries, during her closing remarks at the concert held at the Immaculate Conception High School in Kingston last Sunday.

She added that Jamaica needs to balance its promotion of dancehall music with classical music.

“We have good dancehall music but we need classical music as well. There needs to be a balance, you know,” she stated at the concert whose highlights included over 70 youths performing Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and theme song from the Pirate’s of the Caribbean.

“It’s fantastic, what you see up here: They are bursting with talent,” she said.

The youths, mostly females, were from the ICHS orchestra & Glee Club, Cayman Wind Ensemble and soloists.

Respected conductor Steven Woodham embodied the music, his body and baton were in a constant dance invoking the orchestra to follow. The audience gave Woodham and his orchestra a standing ovation following the Pirates of the Caribbean performance, written by Klaus Badelt and arranged by Ted Ricketts. In that Hollywood composition the ICHS violins bowed ferociously one moment and were silent the next. The gentle phrase of a flute swelled, followed by the reintroduction of the theme by the violins. The drums entered rapidly then decelerated, allowing the brass cymbals to moderately crash.

Other performers included Andrew Lawrence, Kathryn Hoo, Naomi Reitzen and ICHS Chamber Ensemble, Yekengale and Friends, Jodi Ho Lung, Allison Wallace, Pauline Gordon, and Simone Kenny.

The Franciscan Ministries is a non-profit organisation of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany at Immaculate. They build shelters for the poor and sponsor over 200 children and also conducts medical surgeries.