The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

THIS is the beginning of one of the most significant years in Bahamian history. This year, 2023, marks the 50th anniversary of Bahamian Independence. Let the celebrations begin!

But at the same time, let the reflections be deep. Let the commitment to creating a better country for us all be foremost in our minds. This is our time. We are at a juncture that will define the future of The Bahamas. In all that is celebrated, praised, and reflected, let us remember the children of The Bahamas.

Children are so much wiser than we give them credit for. They are able to give often unbiased opinions about the world in which they live, if given a chance. But often, children are not given the opportunity to express themselves fully, and this can affect the trajectory of their future - and this country. One of the easiest ways to get children to open up, to hear their voice, and to give them praise is through music. Flora Simpson knows this well. She has dedicated her life to nurturing the minds and hearts of children in The Bahamas through music.

Most recently, Flora joined Sonovia Pierre, better known as the Bahamian entertainer “Novie”, in presenting a combined children’s choir that knocked the socks off all who heard them perform at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. There, Flora served as accompanist to a choir which comprised children between the ages of 6 to 15 and from all walks of life in The Bahamas.

Novie, the senior cultural affairs officer in the Division of Culture, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, took on the task of putting together a special children’s choir for the occasion. Novie wrote the song “Christmas in My Country” for the children to sing. She asked Flora Simpson to join them as the accompanist, helping to bring the song to life.

“We had kids whose backgrounds were Bahamian, Scottish, British, American... all residents here, coming together to be a part of the combined children’s choir,” Novie said, “And they came from schools like Eva Hilton, EP Roberts, Gerald Cash, Lyford Cay International, Kingsway Academy and Queen’s College.

“Music is universal and brings everyone together. Those children didn’t see colour, race, creed or nationality. That brought joy and cheer to my heart. Those kids came together to practice for eight Sundays. Their parents brought them - friendships were forged, and culture was shared... and for that I am grateful.”

For Flora, this event reignited her passion for performing with children on a national level. As a teacher, she has the opportunity to help the children perform recitals at school. But there was a time when she travelled the world representing The Bahamas with the National Youth Choir as the principal accompanist to Cleophas RE Adderley.

“The Christmas tree lighting ceremony awakened my spirit,” she told me. “It was so wonderful to see how the kids came out each Sunday when they could have been doing something else. They actually wanted to stay longer every week! We had no problem with them. It was wonderful to watch and to hear little kids singing again.”

Flora knows how important it is to sow seeds of confidence into little children. When she was six years old, she was enrolled into piano lessons with Muriel Mallory. Her instruction in music as a child ended with E Clement Bethel, cultural icon.

“Muriel was instrumental in me falling in love with the piano,” Flora mused.

“She pushed me to become the best I could. But E Clement Bethel carried it a step further. He made music come to life. He showed me that music was in every thing that we do. If I played Beethoven, for example, he made me research exactly what it meant to be deaf like Beethoven... and the science behind someone going deaf. He would say, ‘Imagine it being you and put that feeling into whatever you do’. I watched him bring music to life this way.”

Flora went on to become a noted accompanist for the Bahamas National Youth Choir under the direction of another departed cultural icon, Cleophas Adderley.

“He was a perfectionist,” she said of Mr Adderley, whose tenacity pushed the choir and its young members to international acclaim.

“He pushed them to be their best. He wanted something cultural that could be expressed at a higher level, so that the young people could be exposed to the bigger stages around the world like Carnegie Hall. He taught them to perform in a variety of cultural mixes. They would sing songs in several foreign languages. I played music from around the world to accompany them as they sang classical, contemporary, pop and cultural music.

“They sang in many languages including African, Creole, French and Italian. They also took Bahamian music all around the world. He really made the choir what it was.”

Flora toured with the Bahamas National Youth Choir for five years as they visited Caribbean countries and throughout the United States of America. Youth members ranged in age from 15 to 25 and were well respected ambassadors of the country.

The enriching experiences that moulded her youth and those she gained as an accompanist helped her to carve out a life purpose in educating and empowering young people through music.

She has a 32-year history as an educator: “I brought that same passion for music to my students to help them get a more enriched experience from life lessons.”

“I want them to know there’s more to life than what they currently experience. Sometimes, students are thrown into music that don’t want to be there. I meet them where they are at. Usually by the time they leave, they may not have a career in music, but they see how it can impact their lives for the better. At the end of the day, you want them to go out in the big world and know they can do anything they set their minds to do.”

Flora also impacted younger students during her tenure at EP Roberts Primary School. At this institution, many inner city kids had the opportunity to excel in education due to the power of music.

For 22 years, Flora led a group of young children, all skilled in playing stringed instruments. They were so good that they were invited to perform around the capital, New Providence and the Family islands,as well as outside of the country in places like Jamaica and several American states during the 1990s. Flora was able to fulfil the school’s vision to advance the children through music - something that began even before her time.

“Giving the children the power to control an instrument and play music is powerful,” Flora said.

“They can focus - especially when they are on stage - and they can carry the feeling. The audience loves them and the kids love the applause and the encouragement. These kids go on to do more positive things in their lives. This is what I set out to do and was successful.”

Several of her students actually became musicians in their own right. Perrice Saunders, for example, is a music teacher who has shared her gift with students at schools like SC McPherson. Mark Knowles, a noted saxophone player, also came under Flora’s tutelage in his youth. But things are now changing in Flora’s life as she approaches retirement from teaching.

“My basic focus throughout my career has always been on my students; it’s always been about my students; never about me, until now,” she said.

“When I say until now... I am retiring from teaching soon, so I will focus more on my performance as an accompanist and possibly even start my own venture with students. Until then, I will continue to focus on my students where I currently teach at RM Bailey, helping them pass their BGCSE exams and helping them get scholarships for college through music.”

Novie, she says, did much for her and for the kids of the Combined Children’s Choir.

“That was her baby - she put it together and asked me to be the accompanist,” Flora said.

“Even though I am not performing as much anymore, I went ahead and I did! It renewed my interest in accompanying and playing the piano.”

Other young people were highlighted at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, held at Rawson Square on Sunday, December 11. They include the W2 Dance Club; David Cox, a singer who is a grade 10 student at Anatol Rodgers School; D’Angelo Whyms, a spoken word artist who performed an original piece; and the Lyford Cay International School steel pan ensemble, among others. Francyss Pratt was also instrumental in the success of the Combined Children’s Choir. She is the director of the Treble Clef School for the performing arts. Her students played the drums along with the choir.