Sion Hill, Girls’ High School are pan champs

The Sion Hill Euphonium Steel Orchestra and the St Vincent Girls’ High School are champions of the steel pan world.{{more}}

Both pan sides earned their titles on Sunday, June 27, at Carnival City, Victoria Park, at the Youlou Pan Movement, Vinlec Junior Pan Fest.

The Girls’ High School took the first spot in the school based bands category, while Sion Hill did it in the Community based bands category.

Back-to-back champions and five time winners of the competition, the Sion Hill pan side lived up to all expectations last Sunday and proved that they were the pan side to be reckoned with.

Led by arranger and pan prodigy, Rodney Small, Sion Hill played Johnny Rebel’s “Musical Ride”, which sent the crowd on a sweet musical ride indeed.

Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT shortly after their win, Rodney Small admitted that he always thought the song was the most appropriate to play and had been thinking about doing it for quite a while. “I know this song was definitely a hit and that’s why I chose it,” Small said. Small described the win as a “great feeling” and thanked the entire pan side for working assiduously leading up to competition day.

As they ran onto the stage with their faces painted with an array of colours, the young ladies of the Girls’ High School emanated a confidence that was soon displayed in their beautiful pan music. Belting out Winston Soso’s hit “Carnival”, the girls were just a notch above everyone else who came before or played after them.

Coming in second place, the St Joseph’s Convent Kingstown delivered a great performance when they played “Ship Sail” by Poorsah. The C.W.Prescod Primary School was forced into the third spot. They played “Cardo” by Alston “Beckett” Cyrus.

With their rendition of Winston Soso’s “Pan Yard”, the Genesis steel pan side took the second position in the community bands category.

Dressed as jumbies with powdered faces, the South East Steel Orchestra had to settle for third position. They performed “Cocaine Jumbie” by Field Marshall.

The other pan sides in the schools’ category were: The Troumaca Primary School and the Adelphi Secondary School. Georgetown Stars, Dynamic Stars and North Starts rounded off the community bands.

Minister of Culture René Baptiste and Tamara Job-Sprott, representative of sponsor VINLEC, delivered brief remarks.