The band and choir from the Montego Bay-based Herbert Morrison Technical High School is set to take to the stage on night one of Reggae Sumfest on Friday, July 22.

DownSound CEO and Chairman Joe Bogdanovich, producer of the festival, said the year 2022 is special in several ways. It celebrates the slowing down of the novel coronavirus pandemic to allow the reopening of the entertainment industry and thus the return of Reggae Sumfest. This year is also the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence and Sumfest is excited to be celebrating it.

“We will be using the Reggae Sumfest platform to celebrate and honour Montego Bay, the city that has been our home for almost 30 years. When our colleagues at the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry recommended that we showcase one of the treasures of this city, the Herbert Morrison Technical High School band and choir, we immediately agreed,” said Bogdanovich.

“The news of the invitation to perform on the Sumfest stage brought screams of joy and leaps of excitement from the members of the choir,” shared Delano Foster who, along with Timothy Brodber, leads the musical team.

“It was overwhelming, and the perfect return to performance after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Foster added.

He further explained that the members of the band and choir were, understandably, deflated and demotivated after the non-activity of the past two years.

“The invitation was a beacon of hope. This moment will be etched in the memories of these children and the school forever. It has provided the opportunity for them to perform on the stage of the greatest reggae show on Earth. They thrive on the art of making rhythm and this has rekindled their enthusiasm,” Foster said.

The Herbert Morrison Technial High School band and choir was created in 1978, two years after the school was established in 1976. The music programme then benefited from the guidance of Carl Mathews. Music has always been an important component of the school’s programme. Over the decades, the school has won innumerable national awards and trophies at the annual Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Competition as well as other competitions, including Television Jamaica’s school choir competition All Together Sing.

“We started our rehearsal immediately on receiving the invitation. We have not yet settled on the final selection, but we promise 10 minutes of exciting musical performance that will be a fitting tribute to Jamaica’s outstanding musical heritage,” Foster added.

Oral Heaven, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is heartened by Reggae Sumfest’s decision to include the Herbert Morrison Technical High School’s band and choir on the Festival Night 1 programme.

“This experience will be a boost not only for the talented youth who will perform on the Reggae Sumfest stage but will be an inspiration for all young Montegonians. The Herbert Morrison Technical High School has been a beacon of excellence in the community and this showcase is a fitting avenue through which to recognise and celebrate them. Festival Night 2 will see another outstanding young man from the community opening the show — Nathaniel Brown, who created the rhythm for Koffee’s hit single, Lockdown. This gesture demonstrates the increasing significance that Reggae Sumfest has for Montego Bay,” said Heaven.

Bogdanovich noted that this was a revolutionary move on the part of the Sumfest team. “We have a reputation for thinking outside the box. Nobody knows what we will do next. We are excited about this decision and are looking forward to a deeply satisfying experience as we strengthen our bonds with the Montego Bay community,” he declared.