Happy Birthday to steelpan music great Anthony Williams on his 84th birthday.

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Accomplishments of Anthony Williams by David Maunday

 

Scientific

  • Anthony Williams involved in putting pan on wheels in the late 1950s.

  • The placement of notes on the tenor pan in the 4th and 5th formation.

  • The grooving of notes on pans in a spider web pattern (more notes achieved).

  • Placement of notes on the six bass in fourths (a virtual lower extension of the tenor pan).

  • Placement of notes on their double second and 3 pan cello carries similar patterns making it easy for players to migrate from one section to the other.

  • Tony’s quality of tuning produced a very unique tone with his early use of harmonics.

  • Inventor of the 4 pan (a form of cello pan).

  • Anthony Williams made outsize pans (larger than the standard 55 gallon drums) using sheath metal which he tuned [into] some tenor pans, cellos and bass, some of which were used on the Ivory and Steel Recordings in 1969.

  •  North Stars made metal bins and hand held cases for transporting their pans since the early sixties.

Musical

  • Anthony Williams, a self taught musician with North Stars won Steelband Panorama in 1963 and 1964 and placed 2nd in 1965.  His format of introduction, verse and chorus, counter melody, change keys [and] re-harmonization, has been the musical prototype for Panorama since then.

  • North Stars won “Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival” in 1962 playing “Voices of Spring” and in 1966 playing “Poet and Peasant Overture”.

  • They excelled in “Carols and Classics” in 1965.  Many can remember the scintillating rendition of “Sleigh Ride”.

  • Performed with the “Marionettes Chorale” in 1967 and 1968.

  • Performed at the 1968 U.S. Republican Party Convention in Miami.

  • Performed in Madison Square Garden in New York in July 1969.

  • Performed in New York’s Carnegie Hall on the “Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964 and with Winifred Atwell for the Ivory and Steel Concert in 1969.

  • Performed at the U.N. in New York in 1969.

  • Anthony Williams is one of the earlier composers of his own tune “Pan Down 5th Avenue”.

Social

  • The first steel band to introduce (loaders) separate persons to load and transport their pans to and from venues.   Band members always travelled to and from performances in arranged taxis.

click for more on Anthony Williams and North Stars by David Maunday

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  • Best in good health and much joy Mr. Pannist Anthony Williams.  Thank you for showing us the "beauty" and"delicacy" of pan in your collaboration with Ms. Winifred Atwell of the historic "Ebony and Steel" recording.

  • Birthday Greetings to Tony Williams.

  • I would like to say thank you to WST for giving me this opportunity to render my honor and respect to this" Great Genius" of Innovation, for putting pan on the map by his contribution towards the furtherance of this great musical instrument of the 20th century.  Although he may not have been the first to invent This magnificent musical instrument, he was/is the first in furthering the advances in so many areas that you can almost say, he indeed, was the first!  My sincere wish is that "The Almighty" will permit him to have many more years on this "Earthly Plane",so that he will continue to instruct, to consul and to guide future generations in the furtherance of this, "The Greatest Musical Instrument Invented In The 20th Century.  Happy Birth Anniversary, "Sir Anthony Williams" May you see many more!

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