Joyful sounds emanated from Emancipation Garden Station Post Office Square Saturday afternoon as the Territorial Court Rising Stars Youth Steel Pan Orchestra offered its traditional Christmas concert to passers-by.
For the 19th year in a row several dozen steel pan players, both former and current members of the celebrated local group, performed a series of Christmas tunes, including a beautiful medley containing refrains of "Winter Wonder Land," "Little Drummer Boy," "Silent Night" and "Auld Lang Syne" in front of the post office. They also played a rousing piece from Rossini's opera "The Barber of Seville" which they had performed earlier this year in tandem with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra at the Reichhold Center for the Arts.
Rising Stars coordinator Adelia Henneman explained the orchestra normally gives its downtown Christmas concert on Christmas Eve day, but because that falls on Sunday this year, they opted to perform on Saturday with the post office open.
But for those who missed them, the group will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday at Tutu Park Mall.
Directed by conductor John Hodge, Saturday's assembly included some former Rising Stars, who were home for the holidays from colleges on the mainland.
The group was founded by Territorial Court Judge Vern Hodge in 1981 to help prevent school-dropout and juvenile delinquency. Participants are required to adhere to stringent guidelines including maintaining passing grades and abstinence from drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
In exchange for participation graduating seniors going on to higher education all receive a scholarship.
The scholarships are supported by the sale of tee shirts, CDs and tapes along with other fund raising events.
For further information or to purchase merchandise call 774-6680 or 774-7067 or email viocrtadm@tcourt.gov.vi.
