GREAT BAY — Star graduates from the Anbojolettes and the Gateway to Excellence Program (GTE) will sing a few classic masterpieces at the book party for An Introduction To Government – Island territory St. Maarten by Louis Duzanson.
Ivan Richardson, Angelique Hazel, Edilia Williams, Steven Kleinhuis, Tiffany Dopwel, Lena Browne, and Ferdinand Anisette were selected by Anastacia Larmonie to perform at the March book party. The singers include those who graduated at the top of the class with GTE certificates of excellence in May 1999. Anastacia Larmonie, the nation?s first lady of music, directs GTE, and was designated in 1998 by the government here as “Ambassador of Music.”
“Summer Time,” one of last century’s finest songs, Billy Holiday’s “God Bless the Child,” a selection from “West Side Story,” and vocalized poetic expressions will serenade the book launch guests.
“We are happy to have aspiring music scholars singing at this book party. An Introduction to Government is a book that will, in a most concrete way, inform junior scholastic and enhance adult knowledge about the basic workings of the Island Council, Executive Council, and the Lt. Governor’s office; how insular laws are made, and so on,” says J. Sample, vp of House of Nehesi Publishers.
Larmonie has been training St. Martin children to sing and play music for over 20 years and is better known for the choral groups Lollipops and Anbojolettes than for the GTE. She is well known for her disciplined and professional approach to teaching music. The GTE music program started in 1998 as part of the island government’s first Multi-Annual Plan (MAPP). However, there are difficulties in securing moneys for extending the program.
Larmonie is concerned now that while the GTE has succeeded in enabling one batch of young and gifted singers and musicians to “reach to the gate” they may be finding that “the door is closed” to scholarship support for further academic pursuit in music and song. But the music teacher and vocal director is not one to complain.
Larmonie’s vocal art and music foundation (ALVA) is continuing weekly her perfectionist training. Her alumni include choir leaders Joshua Bell, Angie Pantophlet, and Nathalie Busby, the fascinating songstress Lavern Henry, versatile singer Mirourgia Richardson, choreographer Clara Reyes, Miss Universe-St. Martin candidate Angelique Roumou, Youth Wave vocalist Claudie Piper-Choisy, pan professor Neville York, and musician Cornis Vanterpool. Add to the list scores of amateur singers and adults whose self-esteem and pursuit of excellence in different walks of life were sharpened in Ambassador Larmonie’s choral groups. By the way, the Anbojolettes group is in its third generation.
Larmonie feels that presenting the GTE-ers and Anbojolettes at the book party is a way to expose the talent and training to an appreciative audience and enhance the performance confidence and experience of the aspiring singers. Larmonie’s own jazz quartet or trio–which includes Alex Jack and Connie Marshall–has on a few occasions added the sophisticated finish of cool live music to book party receptions.