Pan in de church

It was long in coming but finally the steelpan was officially named as the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago by assent of the Parliament in July. Last Sunday, August 11 was designated by the United Nations as World Steelpan Day. From humble beginnings in East Port of Spain and stigma, the instrument has gained international recognition and acceptance. The Catholic News’ senior writer Lara Pickford-Gordon spoke to a few Catholics about the inroads which steelpan has made in church music and worship.

Raymond ‘Ray’ Holman

Musician, composer and arranger Raymond ‘Ray’ Holman, 80 years, is a parishioner of St Theresa’s RC Church, Woodbrook and has given his time and talent to his parish. He is renowned in the local pan fraternity and beyond.

In an interview on August 3 at St Theresa’s, Holman voiced satisfaction that there has been acceptance of the pan in the church. He grew up at a time when there was stigma associated with being in a steelband and pan was never played at Mass.

“When I was a boy and that was long ago, that was frowned upon. Playing pan in church was a no-no and I always used to say why? What is the reason?” He answered recalling the clashes that took place between steelbands.

Holman added: “Pan is a percussive instrument; nobody had an objection to a piano or a violin or a guitar or organ so why the pan? Well, it’s because of its history in the old days, the history of violence and gang wars and so on, but that didn’t take place in church.”

He glanced around the St Theresa’s church speaking of the beautiful sound when a steelpan is played in church. “The sanctity of the church and something about the acoustics, I love to play pan in the church because the acoustics makes the pan sound so beautiful it lends; it is an asset to the sound of the pan,” he said.

He cannot imagine the Christmas Eve or Easter Sunday liturgies without steelpan music. “It would be dead,” Holman commented. “It has helped make the Service more lively, it has helped give the participants a better meaning and fuller enjoyment of what Easter means, what Christmas means and what every Sunday means.”

Using our own thing

Winston Garcia, Director of the People of Praise began accumulating used steelpans from friends when the People of Praise pan ensemble was formed 11 years ago. More instruments were acquired from a small single pan band which was upgrading their instruments, in exchange for time in Garcia’s small recording studio.

Garcia said, “It’s a single pan band so every player plays one pan; we got a single Second, a Harmony pan, a single Guitar and a single Bass, and I had my own personal Tenor thereafter. I started asking and begging, buying second hand and so on. That was my personal pursuit.”

He chuckled that the instruments are, “not the sweetest pans in Trinidad but they can carry a melody and make people happy”. Practice began with simple tunes for the inexperienced players and over time the band grew.

“The skills level has now improved so we play with a little more finesse, and a little more adventure and take more risks and so on. We have about seven Tenors, two Harmony pans, four Seconds, four Guitars and five Basses, that’s all the pans we have and then we have a whole percussion section”.

The ensemble showcases their skills at People of Praise (POP) events such as Shockwave in which Gospel songs are rendered in a Calypso/Soca tempo and at their praise and worship conference, Sound the Trumpet. People of Praise ensemble aims to play at a full Mass.

Garcia said, “we want to do it in Santa Rosa and other parishes.” He added, “We believe that is an opportunity to raise people’s spirits, all the negativity going around. Steelband is in our DNA as they [Mical Teja] sung this year. Why not use our own thing to promote our faith and our love for God?”

Pan and youth

Holman and Garcia see pan as a way of attracting young Catholics to church. Although the cost of a steelpan can run into thousands, they see it as worthwhile.

Holman said: “It used to be cheap but since they started to chrome it, the cost of everything went up so they have to raise funds just like they raise funds to air-condition the church or to improve the seating. But you have to spend that money to get a couple pans. That would be nice and the young people I am sure would enjoy it. And it would encourage young people.”

Garcia said more often a “skin drum” and guitar will be seen at Masses and occasionally “somebody might pass with a tenor pan one week”. He stated confidently: “Young people love pan, and once you see you start that and people see the sweetness of it…people will want to join, to be a part of it. I think it’s a matter of getting started and promoting it and putting some revenue into it.”

‘Can’t we play inside the church?’

Sr Marie Thérèse Rétout OP, 102 years, shared with The Catholic News her recollection of when pan was first played in a Catholic church. She said Fr Aidan Kennedy OP was parish priest at Our Lady of Laventille RC Church, Laventille when a group of men from the community used to play steelpan “outside the church”.

Paraphrasing what she heard, she stated: “They say ‘Padre’ as they used to call him, can’t we play inside the church?’ and Father said that ‘was not allowed’ and then as they insisted, he said ‘we’ll see’”. They got to play in the church sometime in the 1950s. Fr Kennedy was the parish priest from 1951.

Archbishop Finbar Ryan OP heard about this and disapproved. “He [Fr Kennedy] must be remembered how he was the first to support the playing of pan. They did not find anything anti-religious to play the pan, it is a local instrument of music. I think it is pretty good that this should be known,” Sr Marie Thérèse said. Fr Kennedy died September 7, 1965; he was 52 years.