MB Productions: Bel Canto

Bel Canto Singers

The idea of this semi professional singing ensemble began in September 1999. Its founder and director, Eldridge McPhee, returned to the Bahamas in 1998 after a thirteen-year stint of living in several cities in the South Eastern United States.

With a quartet of four voices, Candace Bostwick - Soprano, Naomi Godet-Taylor - Mezzo Soprano, Linda Osborn - Contralto and Eldridge McPhee - Lyric Baritone. The quartet's debut performance was on December 16th, 1999 at an event called Christmastide and has now become a standard yuletide fundraiser for The AIDS Foundation of The Bahamas and Unity Center of Light.

The group specializes in Classical and Contemporary Sacred Anthems, Negro Spirituals, Bahamian Folklore songs and Broadway show tunes. The group has become ambassadors for the Bahamas as well as a semi professional recording music entity.

Bel Canto Singers Bahamas’ International Concert Tours have taken them to St. Simon St. Jude Episcopal Church, Columbia, South Carolina Spring 2008 & Spring 2009 and St. Mark’s United Methodist, Atlanta, Georgia 2009.

The Singers have recorded a compact disc “Bel Canto Singers - Live at Christ Church Cathedral – Nassau, Bahamas

The Bel Canto Singers Bahamas has raised in the past five years some $47,000 for Charties including the AIDS Foundation of the Bahamas – The Solomon Wellington Adderley Memorial Grant and Unity Center with its annual production of Christmastide. The event, which made it debut on December 16th 1999 has raise some approximately $98,000 in 10 years for non profit organizations."

Members:

	Eldridge McPhee – Director/Baritone Alyson Estwick –Soprano Bonny Byfield – Soprano Lillian Bastian – Mezzo Soprano Nicole Davis-Evans – Mezzo Soprano Anita MacDonald – Mezzo Soprano Candace Bostwick – Soprano Naomi Taylor – Mezzo Soprano Elizabeth Taylor – Mezzo Soprano Maude Lockhart – Soprano Shanderia McKenzie – Alto		Nashon Rolle - Baritone Linda Osborn – Contralto Allan Butler – Baritone Dwight Dorsett – Tenor Adrian Archer – Tenor Kermit Strachan - Baritone Carlos Thomas – Baritone Robert Pinder – Baritone Brian Fernander – Tenor Dion Cunningham – Accompanist Antoin Bowe – Tenor Adrian Archer –Resident Choral Consultant and Choral Clinician

About the Director:

Eldridge has been singing since he entered elementary school at William Gordon Primary School some thirty five years ago. His first choral conductor is none other than Mrs. V Deveaux, mother to Joanne Deveaux Callendar. Eldridge stunned a yuletide crowd at the Christmas pageant at the then Annex Baptist Church with his rendition of 'O' Holy Night at age nine. He went on to sing in Holy Trinity Anglican Church Boys Choir, winning the Bahamas National Arts festival Competition for Boys' Treble Voice at age 12. He was a member of the first National Youth choir organized by Cleophas Adderley in 1983 and also sang under the direction of the late E. Clement Bethel with the Nassau Renaissance Singers.Eldridge participated in drama at the Dundas Center for the performing Arts in plays directed by the late Francilia Bosfield and sang a season with the Nassau Amateur Operatic Society's production of Fiddler on the Roof.

He left Nassau in 1984 where he studied voice and choral conducting under Levone Tobin Scott at Benedict College whose 1980 Choirs won a silver medal in an international choral competition in Hawaii.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting with a double major in vocal performance. In 1990 Eldridge earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of South Carolina with a cognate in International Business.

He has sung with the world famous Frau Munster Chor in Zurich Switzerland for two years under the direction of acclaimed conductor and organist Alex Hug.

Eldridge was a principal of Artist Guild International who produced eight season of concerts at the Government House Ballroom where the majority of the proceeds went towards scholarship funds for The College of the Bahamas students in music programs.

His primary goal is to bring healing and health to the world through excellent production of all art forms.

Bel Canto's An Evening of Sacred Music
Click on the titles to hear samples of:

Come Here Jesus

Abide With Me

I Stood On The River Jerdon

Father We Adore Thee

Live Recording Performance at Christ Church Cathedral 2008

Praise

Deep River

My Lord What a Morning - Nikita Wells, Soprano

Gime Jesus - Candace Bostwick & Nikita Wells, Sopranos

Live Performance at Christ Church Cathedral 2009

Lebera Me - Nikita Wells, Soprano

Good News Chariot's a Comin

Bridal Chorus - -Lohengrin