THE Jamaican Folk Singers lived up to at least one tenet of its mission statement during its season of performances last weekend.

The group, which was formed by Dr Olive Lewin over four decades ago, brought the music to a younger generation on the stage of the Little Theatre in St Andrew.

In a segment headlined Games, the Folk Singers incorporated young children into their performance, delivering popular school-yard games of a bygone era including Thread O and Right Through the Rocky Road.

The youngsters were also brought back for the Courthouse segment where they played the guilty parties — the neighbour’s long mout’ pickney — during the performance of 500 feet a board.

This singular act by the performers brought into sharp focus the need to share the music of Jamaica’s working class with the 21st century generation.

This year’s season by the Folk Singers was dedicated to the life and work of its founder.

The programme’s second half opened with a moving tribute to Lewin who died earlier this year.

She Gone to Paradise, Never Walk Alone, Ride the Chariot, and the popular Rasta chant Holy Mount Zion were among the pieces chosen and represented a departure from the strict folk genre that this group is known for. The performances were set against photos of Lewin projected against the backdrop.

The evening would wrap up in a celebratory mood with a healthy dose of Revival and Kumina.

This year’s season, the first since the passing of Lewin, truly represents a coming of age for the group.

Musical director Christine MacDonald Nevers has really stepped up to the plate and seems to bear most of the vocal responsibilities for

the group.

She represents that balance of youth and experience as, despite her young age, she grew up with the Jamaican

Folk Singers.

Lewin must be indeed proud of her legacy and the capable hands in which the group now rests.