Review: ‘Some Enchanted Evening 2026’
[Written by Dale Butler]
The Bermuda School of Music has been offering tuition to the community since 1978. With eight distinct areas under its belt, from chamber music to steel pan, it continues to keep standards high. On Saturday, November 7th, City Hall was packed for this 25th annual feature of 23 songs highlighting a talented band of local and international players with show-stopping big band tunes loved by a predominantly senior audience.
You can’t go wrong with standards like All of Me, Fever, and Feelin’ Good, but the bar was raised by Dom Metz [UK/France], the band leader and percussionist. He was supported by four additional overseas players:
- - Kris Allen – saxophone [USA]
- - Satish Robertson – trumpet [USA]
- - Curtis Metcalf – trombone [Canada]
- - Bishesh Paddle – trombone [USA]
They all stood out with their solos, along with a host of locals with exceptional skills and resumes – John Lee [bass], leader of The Unit, who played in the Cuban Jazz Festival [2009], and Max Maybury [saxophone], leader of Giant Steps [Cuba 2013], for example. This article would be lengthened if I gave more examples of the qualities and experiences of the whole band. We are blessed with the on-island musicians who brought life to the Earl Cameron Theatre.
Local Artists:
- Courtney Fadin – alto saxophone | Graham Maule – trombone
- Isman Lovence – tenor sax | Raymond George – piano
- David Pitman – tenor sax | John Lee – bass
- Max Maybury – baritone sax | David Skinner – guitar
- Conrad Roach – trumpet | Shelton Bean – drums
- Kent Hayward – trumpet | Christia Wright – vocals
- Tarik Smith – trumpet | Isabella Moniz – vocals
The Bermuda players took advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate they were also world-class players, and this made the night special, as indicated by the standing ovation at the end, and encore. Executive Director of the school, Kent Hayward, who performed in the trumpet section, had no doubts that they would do it again with a night of “toe tapping” during songs composed by the Big Band Era greats: Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie.
My favourites were:
I Got Rhythm: Soloist – Isabella Moniz
Feelin’ Good: Soloist – Christia Wright
[Both have good voices, stage presence and confidence. I look forward to their rise to the international stage if that is a goal.]
Manteca – by Dizzy Gillespie
Pink Panther: Tenor sax soloist Isman Lovence touched every nerve in your body with this popular Henry Mancini song.
C Jam Blues by Duke Ellington, who performed in Bermuda [1954] during his career.
Sing Sing Sing: Drumming by conductor Dom Metz. Close your eyes and you would have felt it was the ever-popular drumming solo by Gene Krupa. Filling in on drums for this busy conductor, on a few songs, was Shelton Bean who was key for this seamless transition.
In closing, I would like to salute the entire band who made “Some Enchanted Evening 2026” a huge success. The audience left energized and happy. Over the years the school has attracted high quality teachers and this is always demonstrated during student concerts. This was a fundraiser for the school’s extensive programmes and a clear example of the implementation of their motto: “Music Excellence for All”. I commend the sponsors and benefactors. As the programme stated: “100% of net proceeds will support the Bermuda School of Music Bursary Programme.”
- Dale Butler’s involvement in Bermuda’s cultural life spans education, government and music. A former Minister of Culture and principal of St. George’s Secondary School, he supported students’ access to local performances and arts education. He established Bermuda’s Music Hall of Fame and is currently working on music biographies. Contact: daledbutler@gmail.com.
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