The Lucayan Chorale

The Lucayan Chorale was born in Bethel Baptist Church,
Meeting Street, which is the oldest Baptist Church in The Bahamas. The Chorale was the brainchild of the late Dame Dr. Doris L. Johnson. an educator who later served as the first female President of The Senate in The Bahamas. Dr. Johnson was a member of Bethel Baptist Church, and she invited her former colleague, the late Dr. Robert A, Henry, of Huston Texas and Ms. Erna Massiah (a teacher from Barbados and former leader of The Y Choral Society), to assist the Lucayan Chorale. Consequent Ms. Massiah became the resident director and Dr. Henry (often accompanied by a few of his music students from Prairie View University) came to The Bahamas for number of years to conduct workshops for the Chorale which culminated in concerts held at Paradise Island, The British colonial Hotel, various churches and also in Freeport. E. Clement Bethel and Father Bartholomew Sayles and  Father Fred Fleischer (St. Augustine College) also lent their expertise to the group; and Veronica Ingraham (then organist at Zion Baptist Church) was also an accompanist. This was truly a community group, comprised of people from all walks of life. The group sang various genres of music including classical, Negro Spirituals, folk, calypso, etc. A number of marriages came about  through membership or association with the Lucayan Chorale.

The Chorale is pictured at left  at Le Cabaret Theatre, Paradise Island 1967, singing the music of Irving Burgie (Lord Burgess), who wrote songs such as “Jamaica Farewell” made famous by Harry Belafonte. Lord Burgess was a friend of the Director, the late Erna Massiah (pictured with Dennis Morgan, then leader of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band and Father Bartholomew Sayles), and he was present at the show. Lord Burgess’ mother was from Barbados and they were family friends of the Massiahs. The late Sonny Johnson and Ishmael Lightbourne were soloists. The Lucayan Chorale was the first group commissioned to sing The Bahamas National Anthem. The Chorale was also a part of the Folklore Group, led by E. Clement Bethel, that travelled to Mexico City to perform at various cultural venues during the 1968 Olympic games.

Prominent Bahamian musicians who studied with Dr. Henry at Prairie View University include Father Crosley Walkine, Jeffrey Sturrup, Gladstone Adderley, Cleveland Williams, Kendrick Coleby, and Cora Johnson. Others who were influenced by Dr. Henry include Patricia Bazard, Audrey Dean-Wright, Florence Carter-Gittens and Rosemary C. Hanna. Through their affiliation with the Lucayan chorale other Bahamians got the opportunity to receive a tertiary education at Prairie View, first among them being Maxwell Poitier. Other alumni include Philip Dorsett, Cecil Dorsett and members of the Zonicle family.

© Copyright Rosemary C. Hanna 2016