By Staff Writer, MyVue News.com,
Basseterre, 19th December, 2020, (MyVue News.com) – When the carnival celebrations continue in St. Kitts next week, the focus will be shifted to the sound of steel and drums as the top steelbands take center stage for the hosting of the 2020 Panorama Competition.
In addition to the quality of music played, the bands would have to impress the judges with their on stage choreography and overall performances.
There will be two main categories for the judging, namely General Performance and Arrangements.
Under Performance, judges will be looking for Tuning of Pans, Consistent Rhythmic Flow, Application of Rhythmic Section, Blending of Pans, Interpretation, Dynamics and Balance.
While for the Arrangements, the focus will be on the Introduction (of the song), its Melodic Development, Harmonization and Motive Development.
This year, eight (8) of the country’s leading orchestras will be seeking honours, when they go head to head, at Carnival Village on Wednesday, 23rd December, at 8:00 p.m.
This is a contest that, in the past, has attracted large audiences, but this year, fans will have to follow the excitement via social media and live radio and television coverage, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
However, carnival officials have indicated that there will be a limited live audience but members of the public would have to quickly scoop up those tickets from the festival’s secretariat on Cayon Street.
In the contest will be the Pantastic Steel Orchestra, Pan in Splendor, Sweet Sticks Ensemble, Young Vibrations Steel Orchestra, Pan Dora Steel Orchestra, Nevis Pan Ensemble, Steel on Fire and EBJ Harmonics.
Each band will be required to play one selection of their choice, which could be a song from St. Kitts and Nevis, or foreign.
Some of the songs already registered are:
Hooked on Me-Farmer Nappy
Old & Grey-Patrice Roberts
Island Girl/Anything for You-Burning Flames
Magic Drum-Machel Montano
Sand to the Beach-Menace
Again, because of restrictions to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19, each group has been restricted to only 25 persons for their appearances.
Main photo: EBJ Harmonics Steely Orchestra