In the year of our 25th Anniversary, 2018, Golden Hands suffered a major loss in the passing of the person who not only assisted our President, Franka Hills-Headley in founding this unique institution of ours but is responsible for the high technical standard of Steelpan performance- Mr. Dane "Rosco" Hinds.
On the day of his funeral we received the disheartening news that our tuner and patron, Mr. Bertrand "Birch" Kelman was undergoing a major surgical procedure in the US.
Mr Kelman has been our tuner since 2000. We were one of a very few bands that rallied around and supported him during his critical year long recovery.
Even during that period, he still mustered his strength, through sheer will power and faith in The Most High, and tuned our pans for our 2019 Panorama Performance.
We were truly
" HIGH On D' Music" as the rendition of this Vanessa Headley's original composition earned us 3rd place. Of course the marks we received for tone were the usual high ones that Bertrand Kelman's work has ALWAYS earned bands here and abroad. Bands that have continually won Panorama because of their sheer power and tone owe him their debt.
In December, 2019, we entered Panorama with pans that he had tuned since January, 2019. He had made arrangements for other tuners to help us because he would not have returned in time. GOLDEN HANDS made the decision to go with our instruments as they were because a Birch Pan can hold its tone under pressure.
We did not abandon our friend and Famalay member at one of his lowest points. In the past he had been there for us through the loss of his only brother, and two years later the loss of his 28 year-old daughter.
What commitment to our National Instrument!
His work didn't fail us in this 2019-2020 Panorama. The judges marks for tone were two 9's and two 10's and helped to place us first in the Prelims.
We won this Panorama for you Birch!
Yes won. 6th place out of a field of 57 with the history making arranger Vanessa Alexandra Headley, the first female to arrange for all three categories of the Conventional Panorama.
Small Band- Golden Hands
Medium Band - Trinidad Valley Harps
Large Band- La Brea Nightingales.
Won? Yes with the Golden Hands Ensemble of children of 5- 22, our future and inheritors of our Steelpan Legacy.
Won? Yes, because we were the only South -central band to reach the finals.
But most of all, Won, because we gave Glory to The Most High and certainly changed our environment in so doing.
We celebrate with all of our Brothers and Sisters in Steelpan, But most of all We celebrate the awesome Gift of God that is *BERTRAND " BIRCH" KELMAN*
Franka Hills-Headley
President & Founder
Golden Hands
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