The 45-piece Concert Band of the University of the Virgin Islands is to perform in Anguilla late next week, just days before the observance of Anguilla Day. Professor Austin A. Venzen, Area Coordinator for the Music Department and Band Director, was here for a few days finalising arrangements for the concert.

The professor is a national of St. Thomas and holds degrees in Music Education from Tennessee University. He has trained many students at UVI including Anguillians Kimba Carty, Lennox Vanterpool and Trevor Hodge. According to him, 29 of his current students will be travelling to Anguilla with him to present the concert to the schools and the community at large.

The band will arrive in Anguilla on Wednesday May 26. Its first performance for primary school students will be at the Stoney Ground School Auditorium the following evening, Thursday. On Friday May 28, an upgraded concert will be for students of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School; and on Saturday May 29 the concert for the community will be presented.

Professor Venzen reported having had the pleasure of working with several of the students and was impressed with their performance. “I tell you their voices are incredible. You just can’t believe it. Wait until you hear them,” he said. “There is a Sixth Form student who will be singing Climb Every Mountain. She is going to bring the house down. When my band member her, she is going to bring them down first of all. She is that good.”

He went on: “There is a lot of excellent talent in Anguilla. I have to give a lot of thanks to Lennox Vanterpool and Kimba Carty, my former students at UVI. They sent the invitation and it is really a pleasure to come back to this island. We have been here before and from what my students tell me, Anguilla has been the friendliest island of all the others we have travelled in the Eastern Caribbean and we look forward to coming here again.”

The professor, who sent music sheets to Vanterpool to prepare the Anguillian students, said the concert would comprise some spiritual pieces, light jazz with easy listening tunes and familiar to a number of young and old persons. He has invited the Police Community Band with which he spent some time to play with his concert band.

Professor Venzen is hoping that his band will have the opportunity to perform at the swearing in ceremony for the new Governor on May 28.

The Concert Band is made up of flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, trombone, baritone, horns and percussion instruments.

“For those students in Anguilla involved in music, this is a golden opportunity for you to come out and hear a very well tuned concert band and gain some experience,” Professor Venzen stated.

Professor Austin A. Venzen

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