A musical flavour of Cuba was provided last week by Barrhead Composite High School Senior Concert Band.
Under the direction of Kerri-Lee Kostiw, the band played three pieces from its forthcoming tour of Cuba.
One of them was an arrangement of “Guantanamera,” perhaps the country’s best known patriotic song.
“This is our little piece of Cuba for you,” said Kostiw, encouraging people to join in with specially provided shakers filled with Spanish rice.
“Feel like you are in Cuba with us.”
The band also performed “Inuit Dance” and “Hockey Night in Canada,” described as Canada’s other national anthem.
“I’m not sure what it will mean to the Cuban people, but I know what it means to the Canadian people,” said Kostiw.
“We will be bringing a piece of Canada with us.”
The May 17-25 tour of Cuba involves students from Grades 9 to 12.
The BCHS band is organizing it with an agency called Canada-Cuba Sports and Cultural Festivals, which was founded in 1987 and represents institutions of the Cuban Ministries of Culture, Science and the Environment, Sport and Education.
“These talented music students will experience a comprehensive overview of Cuban culture and history dating back from the days of Christopher Columbus to the present,” said MC Linda Mueller.
“The principal focus will be the Afro-Cuban contribution to music, dance and visual arts in Cuba.”
While in Havana, band members will meet and perform with Cuban students.
Also performing last Wednesday was violinist and Barrhead Rotary Music Festival medallion winner Rebekah Nikkel.
She was introduced by Jennifer Thomas, president of the Rotary Music Festival.
Mueller was full of praise for Rebekah’s performance of “Apples in Winter,” an Irish fiddle tune.
“That was incredibly impressive,” she said.
The evening was rounded off by a performance by the Magic Lamp Singers, whose members are Bob Jervis, Henry Baxter, Neil Lightfoot, Lana Brand, Ruth Hewitt, Chris Jones and pianist Andrea Perrin.
The Sangudo-based group, who have been likened to a barbershop quartet only with seven members, come from around the area, including Gainford, Mayerthorpe and Barrhead.
One of their closing songs was “Blue Skies.”
It was an appropriate number. For while it may have been wet outside, the Volunteers Appreciation Night had left sunshine in people’s hearts.
