Students in the Herbert Morrison Comprehensive High School Band and Choir are beyond excited for the opportunity to open for Festival Night 1, of the Reggae Sumfest – the Greatest Reggae Show on Earth.

Delano Foster, one of two musical leaders of the band, noted the excitement the news was met with, and described the opportunity as a perfect return after the choir’s two years of non-activity.

“The news of the invitation to perform on the Sumfest stage brought screams of joy, and leaps of excitement from the members of the choir…. it was overwhelming, and the perfect return to performance after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Foster said.

With the 29th staging of the festival falling in a hallmark year, including the institution which has been labelled a treasure of the St James capital, is seen as a great way to honour the tourist city.

“We will be using the Reggae Sumfest platform to celebrate and honour Montego Bay, the city that has been our home for almost 30 years. When our colleagues at the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry recommended that we showcase one of the treasures of this city, the Herbert Morrison Technical High School Band and Choir, a symbol of musical excellence, we immediately agreed,” said Joe Bogdanovich, CEO of Downsound Entertainment.

The institution’s outstanding reputation was a large part of why the decision was made to name them as the July 22 opening act.

The band and choir were created in 1978, two years after the formation of the school.

Herbert Morrison Comprehensive, as it is now known (it was first called Catherine Hall High School and later Catherine Hall Comprehensive High School) has always named music as an important component of the school’s programme.

Having won innumerable national awards and trophies at Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) competition, as well as other competitions including TVJ’s All Together Sing, Foster noted that parents have throughout the years sent their children to the institution for them to benefit from its musical programme.

In addition to the festival approaching its three decade mark, 2022 signals the slowing down of the COVID pandemic, which has led to the reopening of the entertainment sector, and the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence.

“This experience will be a boost not only for the talented youth who will perform on the Reggae Sumfest stage but will be an inspiration for all young Montegonians.

The Herbert Morrison Technical High School has been a beacon of excellence in the community and this showcase is a fitting avenue through which to recognise and celebrate them.

“Festival Night 2 will see another outstanding young man from the community opening the show – Nathaniel Brown, who created the rhythm for Koffee’s hit single Lockdown,” said Oral Heaven, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Herbert Morrison Band and Choir have already begun rehearsals, and though still in the process of settling on a final selection, have promised to deliver “10 minutes of exciting musical performance that will be a fitting tribute to Jamaica’s outstanding musical heritage”.