Save the date: Dec 27 –
Dow’s Musical Foundation and its talented steel pan players will be entertaining the community at the “Pan in Paradise” annual Christmas concert, which will be held at The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort on December 27, at 6:00pm.
This will be the 24th year of the show which started in 1992. The event will feature Ebony Steel Orchestra’s “Phenomenal 12,” Ebony Youth Steel Orchestra, students of Methodist Agogic Centre (MAC) Comprehensive Secondary Education (CSE), Catholic Schools’ steel band, both sections of St. Maarten Academy and Hillside Christian Schools. Some 110 pan players and students will be performing between 20 and 25 renditions.
This show was founded by Isidore “”Mighty Dow” York and then Foundation members Francisco Bryson, Edward Lloyd, Leonaris Brook and Sandra Bastein. “We wanted to do a grand steel pan show that would be an annual event that folks can look forward to,” Dow said. “The objective is to showcase the steel pan instrument at its highest possible level and we wanted it to always be a formal event.”
The show has grown tremendously over the past 23 years. York recalled that the first show attracted some 50 persons. Today, the audience has grown to about 1,000 persons. Dow estimates that some 17,500 to 18,000 persons have witnessed the show over the past 23 years.
Dress to impress. “It’s a formal affair so by all means, any colour suit and evening dress will be allowed, but absolutely no jeans and polo shirts,” Dow said.
Tickets cost US $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Children pay $20. Tickets are available at both locations of Van Dorp, Dow’s Musical Foundation and from all pan members.
