Friday, December 17, 2010

Concert, tree lighting set for Saturday

The parking lot of the Post Office downtown will once more be the location for the Christmas Concert and Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, December 18 at 6:00 p.m.

Yesterday, organizers held a press conference to share details of the event with members of the public.

Administrator Don Cornish noted that the concert is intended to set the tone for the holiday season and highlight the most important day on the Christian calendar.

"What Christmas means to us is wrapped up in the hope and the expectation of good gifts, family fellowship and coming together over food," he said.

"We look forward to this year's event with great anticipation and we encourage all of Grand Bahama to come out and to help us celebrate the very important opportunity of Christmas joy and goodwill."

Cornish explained that the show will kick-off at 6 p.m. where two of Grand Bahama's popular bands - the legends marching band and the pathfinder's marching band -will perform.

"At 7:00 p.m. we transition to the stage for the official tree-lighting ceremony to kick-off the Christmas festivities," he continued.

"Following the tree lighting we will begin our evening concert with the melodious voices of six of our local schools."

A combination choir comprising of students from east Grand Bahama schools McLeans Town Primary, High Rock Primary and Freetown Primary, as well as students from the West End Primary School, Holmes Rock Primary, Bartlett Hill Primary, Tabernacle Baptist Academy, Bishop Michael Eldon School and a combination group of Freeport Primary School and the Beacon School will perform.

The schools were selected based on their participation in the Ministry of Education's annual Festival of Carols event which took place last week.

Following the schools' performances there will be a solo performance by a member of the Grand Bahama Youth Choir.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Police Force and Her Majesty's Prison pop bands will take the stage next.

Cornish said there will be a Santa's corner with stockings for children and food and drink will be available for purchase from private vendors located at the Regency Centre.

When asked whether any special arrangements would be made in case the temperatures drop to an uncomfortable level, the administrator said he is hopeful that residents turn out in their numbers, irrespective of the wea-ther.

"We hope it's cold because we want to warm the hearts of Grand Bahama... Christmas isn't anything in The Bahamas if it's isn't a little cold," he said.

"We hope it doesn't rain because that's always an impediment but we're optimistic that even if it's cool persons will still want to come out."