Steel Delivers Sweet Melodies

Steel Delivers Sweet Melodies
On Sunday August 21st, our toes started tapping from the off, to the familiar tunes of a Beetles medley specially arranged for the Melodians Steel Orchestra. A relaxing afternoon followed listening to this well-established and highly respected ensemble. Founded in 1987 by Terry Noel, the orchestra has provided opportunities for young people from varied social and racial backgrounds. Terry, who originally came from Trinidad, was awarded an MBE for his services to music in 2015.

I’m sure they won’t mind me saying that, given the many years this lovely group has been playing together, some of the young people don’t quite fit that description any longer. But the fact that they’ve been together for so long, entertain their audiences so well and enjoy their music, says it all.

And once again, we need to say thank you to all the people who have helped make these concerts possible. It’s not just the funding, it’s the logistics of getting a mass of bulky musical kit and instruments in and out of a fairly inaccessible place, as well as a van full of chairs.

For funding, the following have been extremely generous:
Carl Richardson
Tom Newman
Peter and Dimity Spiller
Lorraine Buckland
The volunteers from the Information Kiosk
A member who wishes to remain anonymous
Colicci
SEBRA
The Victoria, Paddington.
Taormina Restaurant, Lancaster Gate
Ozuko Sushi and Pan Asian Cuisine, Lancaster Gate
The Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

Nick Kwabi of Park Deck Chairs, without whom we would not have been sitting comfortably.

And from the Royal Parks team, Jessica Nelson, who has dealt with the permits and logistics.

And, of course, don’t forget the Trustees who have volunteered to help out each week with quite a lot of strong-arm heaving of chairs and generally working their socks off for months in the planning, and the willling(?) partners who have been co-opted too.