Music Unites Jamaica Foundation (MUJF) has since its inception been celebrating those nationally, as well as internationally celebrated musical anniversaries. This year is the commemoration of the 250 th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth. Well, actually nobody knows the exact day when Beethoven was born, but his baptism was registered on December 17, 1770, in the small St. Remigius Catholic Church in Bonn, Germany. In the tradition of the time, a baby was baptized three or four days after birth, therefore Music Unites Jamaica Foundation is streaming a Virtual Concert honouring Ludwig van Beethoven on Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 4 p.m.

This Virtual Concert will open with a special Beethoven tribute, by young Jamaican pianist Alain Barrant, who will perform Beethoven’s famous ‘For Elise’. This programme will, at the same time, present original works by Jamaican composers, who will personally introduce their composition, as well as speak about what Ludwig van Beethoven means to each of them. So far very little is known about Jamaican composers, especially (several outstanding ones who do not live and work here. It is also worth mentioning that Jamaica can be proud of several very accomplished female
composers in and outside of Jamaica!

This virtual concert offers the opportunity to feature some of these Jamaican composers who live abroad, like Eleanor Alberga from the United Kingdom; Sharon Calcraft from Australia and Ted Runcie from Taiwan. Furthermore the programme will also include works by Paul Shaw and Andrew Marshall who reside in the United States and Peter Ashbourne our Jamaican veteran, as well as Michael Sean Harris, who is the sort of ‘new kid on the block’ from Spanish Town.

We also would like to mention that several Jamaican instrumentalists and vocalists will be featured during this concert. The very accomplished pianist Paul Shaw will interpret his own composition, as well as one short sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven, and the excellent tenor Michael Sean Harris will also perform his own work ‘Long Time Gal’, which is based on the very famous Jamaican folk song. Head of the piano department at the School of Music / Edna Manley College, Stephen Shaw Naar, will be the performer of the world premiere of Peter Ashbourne’s piece ‘Colon Man at Linstead Market’, and soprano Carline Waugh will give a rendition of Ashbourne’s song ‘Fi Mi Love have Lion
Heart’, derived from the beautiful Jamaican love song. Last but not least Jamaica’s violinist extraordinaire Steven Woodham will open the concert with a solo fantasy filmed and recorded at the centre of the Chinese Garden, at Hope Botanical Gardens.

It is our intention to stream this concert on as many platforms as possible such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, as well as on the local TV channel of PBCJ (Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica).

Your financial assistancewould be much appreciated, and all sponsors will be featured with their logo and / or very a brief video clip during the programme. One of the two live hosts (a German and a Jamaican) will also announce during the programme, the kind sponsorship given by your organisation

Looking forward to this “ODE TO JOY”!