Gretta Taylor conducts the Marionettes in Hearts Beat Together 2 at All Saints’ Church in 2017. Photo: Maria Nunes Photography
We began the Hearts beat together series in 2016 as a way of partnering with communities around the island. The opening lines of that song convey a message: “Hearts beat together every time we sing”.
We’ve raised over half a million dollars for community organisations over our last 16 performances, through our our Hearts Beat Together series (at Holy Rosary, La Romain RC, Paramin RC, St. Phillip and St. Charles in Chaguanas, Mount St. Benedict, and our “home” for over four decades, All Saints); our Heal Our Land concert at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception; and our last two Christmas concerts, which benefitted the Living Water Community. Part proceeds also go to our own Property Fund.
Our theme continues to be unity, urging everyone through the message of music to bond together to try and restore the caring, humanity, sensitivity which is so vital in a world fraught with chaos and cruelty, often without leaders to show the way forward. The music weaves this theme throughout in a range of styles (classical, musicals, samba, calypso, gospel, spirituals, and pop) and in a several different languages (including Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, French, Swahili, Latin, and Trinidadian Creole).
A big thank you goes to our title sponsor BP Trinidad and Tobago, for helping to make this season a reality. We are grateful to all our members; the parents and friends who help us on a regular basis; our orchestra and accompanists; and our tireless production team. And we take a moment to remember our dear Leslie Clement, who was such an invaluable member of our musical team for three decades before his passing earlier this year. Our love to his wife and children, who continue to work with us in and with the orchestra.
So in the midst of football season (Iniesta scored the winning goal when we we about to start our concert at the University of the Southern Caribbean in 2010, and we were half way through our season of Les Misérables when the Germans were crowned kings in 2014), we offer you this precious gift of music! We hope it will move you to remember what the ideal world could be, and inspire you to strive steadfastly to achieve it.
Gretta Taylor
Artistic & Musical Director
