National Chorale begins 2026 concert season with applause
Published: Tuesday | February 17, 2026 | 12:06 AM
The National Chorale of Jamaica (NCOJ) kicked off its 2026 concert season to a packed house at UWI Chapel in February, delivering an evening of classical and romantic music that drew enthusiastic praise from a diverse audience.
Highlights of the programme included an excerpt from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, brought to life by contralto Christine MacDonald and bass Michael Sutherland, whose vocal performances and on-stage chemistry captivated the crowd. MacDonald also shone in solo works by Britten and Brahms, demonstrating her considerable range as a performer.
The centrepiece of the evening was Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast, a dramatic cantata by Black British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Tenor Brenton McLean delivered a standout aria, supported by the full 30-member choir and pianist Stephen Shaw-Naar, a senior lecturer at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. Shaw-Naar also impressed with a solo Chopin étude.
Rounding out the programme were beloved popular classics, including Leonard Bernstein’s Somewhere from West Side Story, as well as bass Edmund Carter’s expressive performance of Cuando Caliente el Sol.
The concert was held under the patronage of former Governor General Sir Kenneth Hall and Lady Hall, and was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, corporate leaders, and school students.
SOURCE: https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2026/02/17/national-chorale-begins-2026-concert-season-applause/
