Kingston meets MoBay for Mother’s Day concert
‘Enchanting Evening of Music’ planned
DESPITE ITS best efforts, COVID-19 will not be allowed to steal the joy of Mother’s Day this year. An array of the island’s top singers and musicians have pledged to infuse the accustomed specialness into the day dedicated to mothers with a concert titled ‘An Enchanting Evening of Music: To Mother With Love’. Naturally, in adhering to all social-distancing rules, the concert will be staged online, with the pluses being a potentially bigger audience, no cover charge, and the ability to watch from the comfort of your home.
The concert organisers tell The Gleaner that they were only too happy to be able to present the smooth, classical male voices of Bunny Rose, Rory Frankson, Rory Baugh, and Francois Medley, all of whom have distinguished themselves on the circuit. They will be complemented by the songbird herself, Karen Smith. To round out the evening will be classically trained violinist Joelle Lee, who has been playing since the age of eight, and well-loved saxophonist Barbara Witter, one of the first females to join the Jamaica Military Band.
Presented by Bunny Rose Entertainment, in association with Frankson Entertainment, there is a Kingston-meets-Montego Bay kind of harmony at play, with Frankson, Smith, and Medley comprising the contingent from the Second City.
Frankson explained that Bunny Rose and his manager, Nerissa Samoth, had been planning a concert before the COVID-19 pandemic. “As the restrictions took hold, the decision was then made to produce a special concert for Mother’s Day because people would normally take their moms out for the evening. This idea blossomed into a Kingston-Montego Bay collaboration of classical and jazz performers of the highest standards,” he told The Gleaner.
Bunny Rose Entertainment reached out to these friends, and, without hesitation, they all agreed to perform at the concert. He further partnered with Frankson Entertainment to produce the Montego Bay ‘leg’ of the Mother’s Day concert. “We are pleased that our local corporate partners were happily on board to offer support. This concert is produced without spending a dime. All talents and support have been garnered for the love of music and to provide further entertainment for mothers on that special day,” an elated Frankson revealed.
RECORDED PERFORMANCES
There were no rehearsals for the concert, but the performances were recorded over the course of two days in both cities. The St James Parish Church was the Montego Bay venue, while in Kingston, it was recorded at the St Margaret’s Anglican Church. “All socialdistancing rules were observed and curfews honoured,” Frankson stressed.
And he and the team are so enthusiastic that they are already considering hosting another festive event. “We are also planning something special for Father’s Day in June. We believe it is equally important to honour great dads, like great moms, so stay tuned,” Frankson said.
‘An Enchanting Evening of Music: To Mother With Love’, which will be no more than two hours long, will be streamed concurrently on the personal social-media pages of all the performers on Mother’s Day, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Cecil Thoms, Bunny Rose’s publicist and project coordinator, will be the emcee for the evening.