PR Campbell brought dignity to Spiritual Baptist

Last thing first. After Chose-dey’s De-bait in Par-Liar-Mint to legal-lies May 21st as Spiritual Baptist Day a.k.a. Shaker Baptist Day, ah thinking seriously of becoming ah Shaker Baptist, go rebuild my maternal grandfather’s Praise/Prayers House in Richmond Hill.

Ah listened to part of de de-bait way ah lot ah deserving stalwarts in dis Noble Christian Organ-I-Say-shun received honourable men-shun foh dey sterling contribution to de Spiritual Baptist.

Yes, is no secret dat in de early days ah de Spiritual Baptist struggle, George “Papa” Mc Intosh was like dey John de Baptist, de lone voice in de wilderness, de local Par-liar-men’t, plugging foh Spiritual Baptist. After Mc Intosh cracked dis big Gitanic Iceberg, others genuinely and not so genuine made worth-wild contribution. But Parnel “PR” Campbell, in his tenure as Member of Par-liar-men’t, Attorney General, and Minister responsible foh Church Matters, brought dignity to de Spiritual Baptist Movement. He was ah born and bread Shaker, worshipped at, baptized wid and mourned (went on Retreat) on Spiritual Baptist Mourning Ground. “PR” was Lord Chancellor of de Organisation. As ah lickle boy “PR” knew what it was like to set up all night in Praise House, pon yuh knees, holding candle and get yuh fingers burn with hot candle wax. Before “PR” became Minister of Religion, de only church services dat were aired live on de Nah-shun-all Radio Stay-shun, were de major established churches, Cat-lick, Met-dis and Angle-can. Nobody ever heard ah Spiritual Baptist Service pon ah Sunday morning or night. It was “PR” who changed all ah dat wid de help of NBC Manager Nina Maloney of blessed memory, who covered Spiritual Baptist Church Service thru-out de length and breath of SVG, live on NBC Radio. It was like ah breath ah fresh air pon ah Sunday morning listening to Converted (Spiritual Baptists) singing dey Sankey, ringing bell, jumping as de Spirit dictated. Was only when PR became minister, dat Spiritual Baptist Bishops got invited to Go-venom-mint official functions. Elect-shuns coming up and de PM trying to correct pull-it-tek-all wrongs, say he giving holiday foh Spiritual Baptist. How about correcting dat wicked an wrongful Act dealt to Quarry (private) Operator, Bishop John when he refused to pay contribution to de party had his quarry on Go-venom-ment lands in Arnos Vale immediately closed down and ordered to vacate the land. Is ah good thing God nah sleep. By de way when is de PM going to re-employ those wrongly and wrongfully dismissed Public Servants foh not taking de Aunty COVID 19 Vax-scene. Judgement Day is coming.

LET ME CALL YOU SWEETHEART

Errol Layne was my dear friend up to his parting. When ah went to Grammar School in 1995, he was dis pail looking youngster in Form six writing Cambridge Advanced Level, looking to win de Island Scholarship. I was 14, in Form two, Errol was six years ahead ah me. Ah figured living next to High School and Grammar School was his secret foh brilliance. He was from my near-bar-hood. When ah enquired, ah was told he gone to study Law. But in less dan two years he was back. He got thu de 3-year Law degree course in 18 months. However in his Eulogy Wednesday, we heard dat as ah lickle sorfy youth, Errol had hell’t challenges, so his well’ty parents had him home schooled. But sick body is not sick brain; at age eight he entered Grammar School Wow! Eight years after, at 16 he was in University in England.

What ah remembered of him was as ah teenager he was ah very good Piano Player. Like he uses to have after-dinner home concerts foh his parents and siblings. We lickle village youths stayed on de side walk and listened. As ah Land Surveyor ah worked foh him preparing land titles etc. So we became good friends. Dat’s when we became buddies.

When ah heard he was not well and had retired, ah got permission from his wife to visit. Ah went wid my Cuatro and Harmonica and he was dey sitting next to his piano waiting foh us to mek soothing noise and call it beautiful music. Ah good piano player uses all ten fingers, plays both black and white keys, and maintains his timing and rhythm. Errol had all of de above. Happy to say ah learned ah few Oldies from him. One of his fair-foh-it songs was an ole 1910 hit song by Leo Friedman and Betg Whitson: “Let me call you Sweetheart I’m in love with you,” Man, he played dat song over and over, Why? His wife uses to sing along wid us.

So Wednesday morning ah put on me Grammar School Tie, went to Anglican Church just to play Errol’s Fair-foh-it Love Song to his wife : “Let Me Call You Sweet Heart, I’’m in Love with you!” Rest Peacefully Errol. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

• Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor,  folklorist and social commentator.