RSS Feed
Email Newsletter
Star YouTube Channel
St George's College choir. - Marlon Vickerman
If the performance that they rendered last week, coupled with the judges' responses, was anything to go by, then the prodigal school Manchester High is well on its way to being crowned 2009 champions of Television Jamaica's All Together Sing competition.
The school, which returned to the stage on the Golden Note card, which allows re-entry to one choir that was previously eliminated, clearly meant business as it performed a well-executed gospel mix.
The choir sang a piece entitled Who Is The Lord To Me and had even the Christian-minded judges gun-saluting from the rehearsal run.
By the time they did their actual performance, it was a standing ovation affair all around as the three judges, including critic and gospel recording artiste Junior Tucker, were blown away.
First judge Dennis Rushton proclaimed, "North Street (St George's College) now have real competition. That was perfect."
Lilieth Sewell, second judge, said, "I stopped judging and just enjoyed it ... . It was just excellent. The precision of your attack and release, your tonal changes, they were good."
Tucker said that St George's College had set the bar earlier with their performance, but Manchester "broke it".
St George's College had earlier wooed the crowd with God Is My -Keeper before going into a jazz Who Shall I Fear.
Rushton said the performance was "so hot that I had to take off my jacket. I can see nothing but light-blue skies from the school that is on the right side of North Street".
Sewell said the school had a good thing going and encouraged them to keep it up.
Tucker said he thought the school's gig was the best performance of the night. That was until Manchester High took the stage.
DeCarteret College asked God to Enlarge My Territory. The piece had to be altered after the rehearsal run, however, as it was too long. Rushton said that while the sound was warm, there was a problem with the chords as they were not in harmony with the singing.
Tucker and Sewell were both satisfied, however.
Black River rendered a medley that pleased all three judges, while the performance from the ladies from St Hilda's was termed as being "as cool as sweet coconut water on a hot Sunday afternoon" by Tucker.
Hydel did a gospel medley to a one-drop beat then turned up the pace, jumping to a piece that claimed "one handful of salt could heal the nation".
For the judges, the piece was commendable and exciting.
Ocho Rios bellowed out Kirk Franklin's More Than I Can Bear but was asked to be more creative in their arrangement next time.
