By Kendrick L. Williams
The Bahamas Choraleers first got together, under the leadership of Addington Cambridge and met at the home of his parents, Bert and Doris Cambridge on Hay Street, New Providence. The Group performed for approximately ten years from the late 1940s until the late 1950s. At the beginning, it was comprised of six males and a lady named Miss Gwendolyn Munnings (later McDeigan) who sang with the group throughout the entire period of its existence. The group also practiced at the home of Percival and Leona Hanna on Anderson Street.
The repertoire of the Choraleers included a variety of choral music – unison, four part harmony, solos, mostly accompanied by George Kerr on the piano or organ, sometimes a capella, religious, classical, secular, negro spirituals and humorous pieces.
The group usually performed on Sunday afternoons and, at the beginning, the main performance venues were: the British Colonial, the Fort Montagu Beach Hotel, the Royal Victoria Hotel and the Buena Vista. They also performed at the Balmoral and later the Emerald Beach hotels on Cable Beach. The Choraleers also sang at churches, weddings, funerals, private parties, and old fashioned concerts, etc.
Over the period of its existence, membership fluctuated from a low of six to high of fourteen. It is interesting to note that the members never agreed on just one spelling of the name: Some used “Choraleers” and others used “Choralaires”.
The Group was very popular and well received. Pictured above are: Alvin Bailey, Matthew Sawyer, Aaron “Cat” Cartwright, Gwendolyn Munnings-McDeigan, George Kerr, Ivan A. Hanna, Kendrick L. Williams, Addington Cambridge, J. Edison Deleveaux, Francis Albury, Leon Knowles and Roderick Simms.
November 2011