Bermuda's youth were 'spectacular' at CableVision awards

MONDAY, JAN. 16: Talented youngsters lit up the stage at CableVision’s ‘Salute to Service’ awards on Saturday. Several different groups of musicians, singers, actors and dancers — many of whom had not yet aged to double figures — delighted the audience at the Fairmont Southampton.

Terry Roberson, General Manager of Bermuda CableVision, explained during his opening speech that while the event remained a celebration of the CableVision Community Service award winners from the last seven years, the format this year would be a little different. There was to be no keynote speaker during the meal (an announcement which brought a round of applause!), and instead we were to “recognise these young performers… as they all volunteer many hours to perfecting their skills for the pleasure of others.”

Delight

He added, “In addition, we wanted to celebrate the adult leaders that… cultivate this raw talent. All too often, young people are perceived as a threat to the status quo rather than the positive, progressive force they can be. With this showcase of some of the best emerging talent Bermuda has to offer, we hope to have shattered that misconception by giving our children a platform on which to delight and inspire.”

And delight they certainly did.

During the meal, attendees at the Gardenia Rooms in the Fairmont Southampton were treated to wonderful performances by no fewer than sixteen musical ensembles and performance troupes.

Entertaining the guests were The Bermuda Institute School Choir, The Bermuda Institute Steel Band, St George’s Preparatory School Choir, The CedarBridge Academy Orchestra, The Bermuda High School for Girls Orchestra, The Warwick Academy Jazz Band, In Harmony, The Berkeley Institute Dance Ensemble, The Eddie Ming Drum School, Shine’s School of Music, The Bermuda School of Music Steel Band, The Bermuda Squad Dance Group, Sandys Secondary Middle School Drumline, Troika, Graffiti Dance Crew, and the Sea Breeze Salsa Dancers.

Some of the performances deserve particular mention.

The Warwick Academy Jazz Band, under the direction of Kent Hayward, were incredibly impressive with their deep, round and polished sound. They completed their set with a very popular rendition of ‘I Shot the Sheriff’.

In Harmony, a young male a cappella octet from the Bermuda Institute, performed a warm and haunting ‘Do Not Pass Me By’. The harmonies of these soulful masculine voices were simply beautiful.

It appeared that the entire youth population of Sandys had arrived when the Sandys Secondary Middle School Drumline took to the stage. Their powerful, passionate energy was overwhelming and inspiring, and brought everybody to their feet.

Donation

Terry Roberson, closing the evening, said how he felt “blessed” by what the young people had brought to the stage. “The future looks really bright,” he said. He also announced that CableVision would donate $1000 to each of the groups that had performed.

“Spectacular” and “Stimulating” were the words Premier Paula Cox used as she told the Bermuda Sun how wonderful it was to see the Island’s young people having a positive effect on the community and each other. Governor Sir Richard Gozney also commented on the “positive energy” that children bring.

Terry Roberson and Cablevision must be commended for putting together such an uplifting display of artistic ability. In the face of worrying stories of crime and poverty, these young gifted Bermudians proved that, as Dwayne Caines led the gathered guests to chant, “there is hope”.