The voices of the Cayman National Choir and music from the Cayman National Orchestra echoed throughout the Elmslie Memorial United Church as the groups presented two evenings of carols and festive music at their annual Christmas Carol concert, themed ‘Sleighbells and Seashells at Elmslie’.
Led by choir director Melody Gifford and orchestra director Alina Makhina, the CNCO performed songs including, ‘Once in Royal David’s City,’ ‘Do you hear what I hear?’ ‘Mary Did you Know?’ ‘Nutcracker Jingles,’ ‘O Holy Night,’ ‘Christmas Waltz,’ and ‘Joy to the World’.
Both evenings also saw the packed congregation singing along too. On 19 Dec., audience members were treated to a special performance of ‘Away in a Manger’, by the CNCO with friends from Sunrise Adult Training Centre.
“It’s the first-time clients from the Centre are participating formally with the CNCO,” Kimberly Voaden, told the Cayman Compass.
“I’m immensely proud of all of our clients that performed. Our guys have lots of experience worshipping and praising the Lord and enjoying the Christmas season. We’ve also done eight fully inclusive theatre productions in the past, so this is a nice new addition to the opportunities that we’ve had in the past to help them share their talents,” Voaden said.
One of the Centre’s clients, Gabriella Terry told the Compass, “I really enjoyed it.”
Gifford told the Compass, “I am happy with how things came together. We worked really hard; we rehearsed a lot.”
Gifford, who has directed the choir for two years now, added, “I think working with the clients from the Sunrise Adult Training Centre was the part that I was most proud of because it was something very different, and branching out of ourselves to connect with this special part of our community and that’s a moment I’m going to remember for a long time.”
Additional reporting by Henri Morineau.
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