The Barbados National Youth Symphony Orchestra will take centre-stage when the National Cultural Foundation’s Joyful, Joyful concert comes off on Sunday, April 9, 2023.

The event, which will be held at the National Botanical Gardens at 2 p.m., will showcase a mixture of mostly young rising stars with a few experienced artistes as well.

The 100-member Barbados National Youth Symphony Orchestra last major performance was in Heroes Square at the Independence Day concert when they wooed thousands there and on the live stream.

On Sunday, they will be performing new pieces by local arrangers Nicholas Brancker, Tito Gittens, Trumpetboy Entertainment, Steve Sobers and Mark Husbands. The Sobers arrangement features songs by Joseph Niles and Sister Marshall and is entitled: It’s All About Gospel.

Husbands’ arrangement of Amazing Grace will feature Carol George on vocals and Darien Bailey on keys. A special tribute to Carol Leacock will be done by Ch’an. The other act performing with the orchestra is Maya Sobers.

“We are excited and happy to be performing for Easter. It is always a pleasure to showcase the works of Caribbean composers and arrangers. We will be performing arrangements commissioned by NCF specifically for the Orchestra.

“Arrangements of our local music by Roger Gittens, Jomo Slusher, Steve Sobers, Mark Husbands, Dwain Gill, Tito Gittens, and music officer Kevin Moore will be performed. These concerts are always an enriching experience for the youth and impacts positively as we endeavour to perform a variety of genres,” she said.

The NIFCA Stars casts includes: Skyy Dowridge, Che Reign, Harmoni Haynes, Shaneka George, Joshua Osbourne, Kenola Greenidge, Jasiah Moore and Dondria Forde.

“Joyful Joyful will be a mesmerising afternoon of music and a huge celebration of youth, talent, and community. In the weeks leading up to the concert, everyone involved has worked extremely hard and is prepared to give it their all on concert day. You will feel renewed, refreshed and beam with pride once you’ve heard and seen it all from our young people on stage,” Butcher said.