DURING the past weeks, there were many events to usher in the Christmas season, some as spectacular as the lighting of giant Christmas Trees in and around Georgetown; others highly commercialised, displaying windfalls (elusive to but a few).Some were the standard seasonal features that are usually taken for granted; others passed unnoticed, all significant in one way or the other.
To date, two events have captured my interest. For now, I would comment on one: ‘Expressions 3’, an evening of poetry, prose, storytelling and songs for the season.

A LITERARY EVENT
I have focused on ‘Expressions 3’, mainly because it was a literary event; and literary events warrant all the publicity they can garner, in order to sustain them. ‘Expressions 3’, produced by Gem Madhoo-Nacimento, followed in the same vein of ‘Expressions 2’ and ‘Expressions 1’, creating another forum for live literary expressions in prose, poetry, storytelling and songs.
‘Expressions’, by GEMS Theatre Productions, is the latest performance platform for poetry, with a promise of better things to come, especially with the commitment by the producer to remunerate the artistes, another nail in the coffin of the lamentation, ‘starving artist’.
For too long that cry has flooded this land, eroding creativity, thwarting the development and exposition of the creative artist. It is time to change that sad refrain to a trend of smiling all the way to the bank.
‘Expressions’, an ambitious venture, was launched at the Theatre Guild on Parade Street, Kingston, on Friday May 16, 2014. It sought to become a regular feature on the calendar of events of this country.
‘Expressions 3’, coming at this time of the year, favoured a Christmas theme. However, the selections did not only reflect the merry side of Christmas, but offered some grave concerns of the season.
First, the merry side of Christmas, though not in the same order as the printed programme.
The event started quite appropriately. ‘Christmas Wishes’ and ‘The Christmas Song’ were rendered on harmonica by Ron Robinson, followed by Robinson and Max Massiah on saxophone, rendering ‘Joy to the World’. Completing the opening salvo was Massiah doing ‘Silver Bells’.
T.S. Elliot’s ‘Journey of the Magi’ was read by Elfrieda Bissember, and followed by A.J. Seymour‘s ‘Composition in December’.
In my fabulous December/ Shinning eyes of children
Grasping the toy-happy season /Tight in their little fists, …
Groups of laughing boys /Dash pell-mell in their yachtings
Chasing along crowded pavements … Limber girls/ Flaunt their shapely banners…
Along the avenue/Under a floating cloud of hair

Fabulous Monument/ of the Cathedral,/ after the sun
Withdraws its white stare/Listens to the vespers
When advent doves/Twitter/High in the gloomy rafters
Of its brain

O death has no place here /Only laughter…

I discover crystal raindrops/Float-falling/
On the heavy rhythmic cars/Lurching/Around the War Memorial

A tiger moth/With wondering benediction, In its wings/
Flaps slowly/From the saman trees/To condemn hysteria…

And moss sleeps/On a stone…

A final plug for Christmas was the performance of a skit, ‘Christmas Eve is where the action is’, written by Jennifer Thomas and performed by Thomas and Leon Cummings.
As for the not-so-merry side of Christmas, there was ‘Night Before Christmas’ by Clement Clarke Moore, and performed by Derek Gomes.
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

Another was Ian McDonald’s ‘The Matchbox’.
‘a little box…treasure carried everywhere at Christmas time/it is what she has and she’ll get nothing more’
So, too, was ‘Cracks in Christmas’, written and performed by Petamber Persaud.
Christmas falls
in December
prices RISE
as early as November;
Children are crestfallen

parents stumble
over those high rises
fall
breaking promises;
Children are crestfallen

Christmas falls
Like a sledgehammer
On promises
Shattering dreams;
Children are crestfallen

Christmas falls
in December
prices RISE;
as early as November
Children are crestfallen

HOLIDAY CRACK

‘Holiday Crack’ by A. C. Sanford was performed by Randolph Critchlow. ‘Silent Night’, by Tamara Rodney had a very interesting slant to it.
A celebration cannot be pure unless it is equal.
…This Christmas,
Set aside your wish list just for a while and make a compassion list
For those you can help
Give gifts of hope and assurance
This Christmas, let prayers go up in silent night
Let our thoughts remember children deserving of hope
And a people who long for the joy of Christmas,
No more silent nights of hunger and pain and selfishness
But we will awaken our hearts to bring joy to the world in our realm of possibilities.

So did ‘Tis the Season’, written and performed by Lloyda Nicholas-Garrett.
‘Tis the season of a litany of things
Even Jesus is on hire purchase
Reason flows like a river of green notes
Out of weary ATMs
Worth is wrapped up in bows and ribbons
And doled out as props to our status
We drink eat and are merry
Laying like the fatted calf on a platter of new things
Helpless to the wrath
Of January’s bill collector

The evening ended with the awesome voice of Kimberly Samuels, accompanied by Orette Samuels on keyboard rendering ‘Star of Bethlehem’ and ‘I dreamt a dream…’

All the performers for this seasonal showcase were seasoned actors, actresses and readers.

The master conductor was Gem Madhoo-Nacimento, who did everything right for the show, though it was a struggle, again, to get enough people to attend a literary event. Poor Guyana! (To respond to this author, either call him on (592) 226-0065 or send him an email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com)