The Marionettes Chorale of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

is one of the oldest performing arts organisations in the Caribbean. Formed in 1963, the choir has toured the Caribbean; North and Central America; and Great Britain; has won prizes at music festivals both in Trinidad & Tobago and internationally; has recorded seven albums; and received local awards. Founded in 1963 by Jocelyn Pierre and June Williams-Thorne, the choir has been led since 1974 by

Gretta Taylor Gretta Taylor (née Francis) is a musician and teacher from Trinidad and Tobago. She is the conductor and musical director of The Marionettes Chorale (1974–present). She received the Hummingbird Medal—Gold in 1990 for "outstanding services t ...

(née Francis) as conductor and artistic director; and founder member Joanne Mendes as secretary and production manager. Susan Dore (née David) served as assistant musical director 1974–2011, and was succeeded by Dr. Roger Henry. The choir has been sponsored by BP Trinidad & Tobago (then Amoco) since 1972, and formed a Youth Chorale in 1995 and a Children's Choir in 2012. The group was incorporated as a non-profit in 2005.

History

The Marionettes was initially formed to compete in the 1964 Trinidad & Tobago Music Festival, and claims to be the first choir formed after the islands' independence in 1962. The group competed intermittently in the local Music Festival until 1980, and retired unbeaten. They were awarded the prize for the Most Outstanding Choir each time they competed, and other awards included the May Johnstone Commemorative Trophy for the Most Outstanding Performer of the Festival. Between 1981 and 1992, the choir competed internationally at choral festivals in the United Kingdom: Llangollen, Wales (1981); Cork, Ireland (1984); and Middlesbrough, England (1992), winning four prizes. In addition to competitive tours, the Chorale also completed non-competitive tours in the Caribbean (Curaçao, Grenada, St Vincent, Barbados, Jamaica), and in North America and Central America (New York, Toronto, Montreal, Miami, Philadelphia Washington DC, and Costa Rica). The Marionettes have performed at venues including St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, the

York Assembly Rooms The York Assembly Rooms is an 18th-century assembly rooms building in York, England, originally used as a place for high class social gatherings in the city. The building is situated on Blake Street and is a Grade I listed building. Designed ...

, and the Hall of the Americas in Washington; and for dignitaries including Lord Browne and

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...

, delegates from CARICOM, the

Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS; es, Organización de los Estados Americanos, pt, Organização dos Estados Americanos, french: Organisation des États américains; ''OEA'') is an international organization that was founded on 30 April ...

and the British Commonwealth. In 1995, the choir founded a Youth Chorale for young singers aged 11–26, from over 30 local schools. The Youth Chorale is also supported by bpTT. In 2001, the Chorale began a fund-raising campaign to build its own rehearsal and performance hall, and formalised its status as a non-profit organisation in 2005. The Chorale produces at least two major productions per year in Trinidad & Tobago, in the middle of the year and in December, usually at the Queen's Hall in

Port of Spain Port of Spain (Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a municip ...

. It also presents concerts in aid of local charities, and guests at local events. In 2008–09, it celebrated its 45th anniversary, and 35 years of leadership by Taylor, Dore and Mendes.

Repertoire

The Marionettes' repertoire includes Western

Classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

, indigenous

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

African-American spirituals Spirituals (also known as Negro spirituals, African American spirituals, Black spirituals, or spiritual music) is a genre of Christian music that is associated with Black Americans, which merged sub-Saharan African cultural heritage with the e ...

, popular classics, and world music. Composers who have dedicated works to the choir include Dr.

Havelock Nelson Havelock Nelson (25 May 1917 – 5 August 1996) was an Irish composer and conductor. Life Nelson was born in Cork and studied in Dublin with Dina Copeman and Dorothy Stokes at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, organ with George Hewson and com ...

, Stewart Hylton Edwards and Alma Pierre. The Chorale was among the first to blend voices with the steel pan (aka steel drum) in the 1960s, and have performed with the following steel orchestras: Pan Am North Stars, Trinidad All Stars, Renegades, Renegades Youth Orchestra, Desperadoes and Skiffle Bunch. They have premiered several choral works in the Caribbean, including: Carmina Burana (Orff); Fanshawe's

African Sanctus ''African Sanctus'' is a 1972 choral Mass and is the best-known work of British composer and collector of world musics David Fanshawe. In ''African Sanctus'' the Latin Mass is juxtaposed with live recordings of traditional African music, whic ...

;

Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

Five Mystical Songs The ''Five Mystical Songs'' are a musical composition by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958), written between 1906 and 1911. The work sets four poems ("Easter" divided into two parts) by seventeenth-century Welsh poet and Anglic ...

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

Ceremony of Carols ''A Ceremony of Carols,'' Op. 28, is an extended choral composition for Christmas by Benjamin Britten scored for three-part treble chorus, solo voices, and harp. The text, structured in eleven movements, is taken from ''The English Galaxy of Short ...

;

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among the best-kno ...

's Gloria;

Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts ''Sacred Concert'' by Duke Ellington is one of the following realisations: * 1965 - ''Concert of Sacred Music'' * 1968 - ''Second Sacred Concert'' * 1973 - ''Third Sacred Concert'' Ellington called these concerts "the most important thing I have ev ...

and

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

's Missa Brevis and

Chichester Psalms ''Chichester Psalms'' is an extended choral composition in three movements by Leonard Bernstein for boy treble or countertenor, choir and orchestra. The text was arranged by the composer from the Book of Psalms in the original Hebrew. Part 1 ...

Recordings

* ''To Music'' (LP, 1972) * ''The Marionettes Live at Queen’s Hall'' (cassette, 1989) * ''Voices & Steel'', with All Stars Steel Orchestra (CD, 1995) * ''A Christmas Album'' (CD, 1998) * ''Good News'' (CD, 2002) * ''Sing Noel'' (CD, 2007) * ''Landmarks'' (CD, 2013)

Tours

* 1965: Grenada; Barbados; and St Vincent * 1967: Curaçao; Jamaica; New York, USA (

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

); Toronto and Montreal, Canada (Carifta Expo '67) * 1969: Grenada (Carifta Expo '69) * 1981: London ( Commonwealth Institute); Llangollen (

International Eisteddfod The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is a music festival which takes place every year during the second week of July in Llangollen, North Wales. It is one of several large annual Eisteddfodau in Wales. Singers and dancers from around ...

, Wales) (United Kingdom) * 1984: London, Cork (

Cork International Choral Festival The Cork International Choral Festival is held annually in Cork, Ireland and features choirs from all over the world. About 5,000 choristers take part every year; they come from all over Ireland, from Britain, from the European continent, and s ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

) * 1992: London ( St Martin-in-the-Fields), Middlesbrough (International Choral Festival), York, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow (United Kingdom) * 1997: Miami, Mansfield College (Pennsylvania), Philadelphia, Washington DC (Hall of the Americas),

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

, New York (

Medgar Evers College Medgar Evers College is a public college in New York City. It is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY), offering baccalaureate and associate degrees. It was officially established in 1970 through cooperation between educator ...

) (United States of America) * 2004: San Jose and Limón (Costa Rica)

Prizes and awards

Awards

* Humming Bird Medal (Gold) for outstanding contribution to music in Trinidad & Tobago (1987) * Keys to the City of Port of Spain (1992) * Port of Spain Corporation Achievement Award for sterling contribution to the field of music (1999) * Trinidad & Tobago Icon (History Makers) Award for distinguished service to Trinidad & Tobago (2002) * Trinidad & Tobago IBC Inc. (Independence Ball Committee, Miami) Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts and Culture of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago (2006)"Marionettes Honoured in US" in the ''Trinidad Guardian''
/ref> * Queen's Hall Award for Contribution to the Performing Arts (2009)

Trinidad & Tobago Music Festival

* 1964: JCC Cup for Best Adult Choir * 1966: JCC Cup for Best Adult Choir; Mary Elizabeth Evans Cup for Best Religious & Church Choir * 1968: Mary Elizabeth Evans Cup for Best Religious & Church Choir; Merchants Trophy for Best Adult 'X' Class Choir; Olive Walke Shield for Best All Round Choir; Founder's Trophy (May Johnstone Commemoration Trophy) for Most Outstanding Performance of the Festival * 1980: Ashdown Cup (Best religious open choir over 20 singers); Lion's Trophy (Most Outstanding Choir of the Festival); JCC Cup (Best Adult Choir)

International prizes

* Ruth Railton Prize for the most outstanding contribution by a visiting group at the Cork International Choral and Dance Festival (Ireland, 1984) * 2nd place, Madrigal Choirs, Cork International Choral and Dance Festival (Ireland, 1984) * 2nd place, Mixed Choirs, Cork International Choral and Dance Festival (Ireland, 1984) * 2nd place, Mixed Choirs, Middlesbrough International Choral Festival (England, 1992)

References

External links

The Marionettes Chorale official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marionettes Chorale Trinidad and Tobago choirs Trinidad and Tobago musical groups Musical groups established in 1963