Last week, (December 15), the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs hosted the 2020 Holiday Heartbeats Concert, which took place on the steps of City Hall.
The event featured musical performances by local performing artists and brought the cheer of holiday music to the City of Hamilton. Recognising the Covid-19 pandemic and necessary restrictions, all public health protocols were maintained to ensure a safe, yet joyous occasion could take place and fill the air with seasonal music during the lunch hour.
The musical artists featured were Joy T. Barnum (singer), Wendell “Shine” Hayward (saxophonist), Quinn Outerbridge (singer),Toni Robinson (singer), Paul Smith of De Onion Patch Crew (steel pan), and Leslie Tucker Jr. (violinist).
On hand to open the event was the Junior Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports, Sen. Arianna Hodgson, JP, who commended the Department for hosting the event for the enjoyment of the community.
Sen. Hodgson said, “As we can all appreciate, we are celebrating this holiday season under very different circumstances. This has meant that this year’s concert had to be hosted in a non-traditional way.
“We felt that it was important to continue the annual custom of the holiday concert because we recognise that our community could truly use some seasonal music to lift our spirits. In that regard I wish to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs and the Corporation of Hamilton for facilitating this event. Also a special thanks to our musical artists who have given their time to perform.”
Sen. Hodgson concluded, “Even though these are unfamiliar times, I hope that we remember the reason for the season. Let’s use this time to reflect on the things that have connected us; like the importance of family and friends and keeping safe and healthy. I hope we also remember to extend kindness and support to those who are in need, as these have been incredibly challenging times for those most vulnerable among us.”
Members of the public who wish to watch last week’s concert can tune in to CITV starting December 24th to see the full line up of performances along with additional holiday programming. Members of the public can also visit the Department’s YouTube channel, Bermuda Culture during the holiday season to view the performance.
