On December 13th, the AlphaMax Academy held its annual school Christmas concert. The principal of the Academy, Mr. Sean Taylor, decided to embrace the “time for change” slogan and dedicated this year’s performance to some of the world’s greatest and bravest minds who lived. In addition to our usual Christmas items he directed a special presentation which consisted of excerpts from speeches from some of the most famous English speaking orators.
As anticipated, Great Minds,Great Thoughts , Great Moments in Time,was nothing short of spectacular. The theme of the concert was set to capture and personify the feeling of hope and a struggle that is as old as recollection itself. Students at the AlphaMax both young and old participated in what turned out to be an unforgettable experience.
Great Minds,Great Thoughts featured some of history’s most unforgettable representatives of the freedom fighting world: Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Chief Seattle, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Patrick Henry, Abraham Lincoln, and of course the newly elected United States president Barack Obama.They were perfect candidates for this presentation as they are all well known for their inspirational speeches. Multiple high school pupils were each assigned parts of these icons’ famous speeches to recite, some even having multiple excerpts.
The names and parts are as follows:
Patrick Henry’s Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death - Marciano Proeve & Vijoya Taylor
Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream (excerpt) - Shannon Willemsberg
Martin Luther King’s I Have Seen The Mountaintop (excerpt) - Michelle Partoredjo & Tos Sahtoe
Sir Winston Churchill’s We Shall Fight On The Beaches (excerpt) - Michelle Partoredjo & Stephan Playfair
John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Speech - Gabrielle Goedhart
Malcolm X’s The Ballot or the Bullet (excerpt) - Yehudah Webster & Jess Ligeon
Barack Obama’s Yes We Can- Victory Speech (excerpt) - Seon Gomes, Marciano Proeve & Yehudah Webster
Chief Seattle’s ‘ Unnamed Speech’ (excerpt) - Zikomo Mhango, Jean Kartoredjo & Vincent Hilversum
The rendition was well received by the family and friends who attended that night. According to most in the audience, the participating students were eloquent, their speeches well-learnt, and the inspirational nature of the assigned speeches got them acting the parts of the great men who, long ago made their mark on history in one way or another. Even those who performed enjoyed the experience; they were full of pre-stage jitters, but by the end of the night, they all happily stated that it had been worth it.
However, Great Thoughts, Great Minds was only one aspect of a satisfyingly successful concert. The kindergarten and middle level students did a short skit based on Clemence Moore’s poem Twas The Night Before Christmas - complete with fully dressed Santa Claus! In addition, there were also two musical pieces played by the Academy’s music instructor Mr. Mathurin, Marysa Brandflu, Yamil Kartoredjo, David Chen, and Justin Ho, and a joy-themed dance which Mr. Krak and seven other students participated in.
It was, on the whole, an inspiring, uplifting evening that was enjoyed by viewers and performers alike.
-By Vijoya Taylor ; Seon Gomes
