Daily Archives: May 13, 2011

May 13, 2011 · 12:04 pm

Art & Opera Dedicated to Jackson Burnside

AT the Art and Opera Evening on Sunday, 15th May, a number of the songs will be dedicated to cultural icon Jackson Burnside who sadly died this week.

He was an avid supporter of the restoration and preservation of old colonial houses and buildings in Th Bahamas and was pleased to hear that Jacaranda House, a property he used as a reference for beautiful colonial architecture when lecturing, was being renovated. Burnside would often bring his students to the property to study the architecture and positioning of the building.

For more information on the Art & Opera Evening Sunday 15th May 2011 CLICK HERE

READ Jackson Burnside III – article about his life and work

Jackson Burnside III

The death of Jackson Burnside, renowned architect and artist, brought a dark cloud over The Bahamas this week.

He was a cultural icon who continued, up until his sudden illness a few weeks ago, to encourage, motivate and influence the country to develop culturally. His aim was to transform The Bahamas into a desirable destination, not only for its stunning beaches and sun, but for art, culture and heritage.

“His enthusiasm for life itself and for the cultural diversity and richness of The Bahamas was infectious,” Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said. “His spirit and great enthusiasm will live on in our hearts. Moreover, his legacy in many fields of endeavour from his professional success in architecture to his artistic craft to Junkanoo will endure.”

Mr Ingraham added: “Over the many days, and weeks and months and years ahead, a grateful nation will mourn the passage of a native son who made us proud of him, and also made us proud to be Bahamians.”

Burnside’s greatest passion was architecture and in the later years of his life he focused on the restoration and preservation of old Bahamian houses and buildings. He was an avid supporter of the Jacaranda House and would bring many of his students here to study the beautiful colonial architecture.

For many years Burnside studied and practiced architecture abroad. He was a sought after lecturer and encouraged his students to always study the architectural heritage of a building and the importance of understanding climatic conditions, natural light and structure in developing design that neither overwhelmed its surroundings.

Burnside achieved a great deal in his life. He was the first Bahamian Senior Architect for the Bahamas Ministry of Works and for his artistic talents and as a cultural advocate received numerous awards and honours for his outstanding work. He was awarded The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizens Award for the Creative and Performing Arts, and The 2008 Bahamas Home and Builders Lifetime Achievement Award.

We all hope that his work and achievements will always be remembered and that it will be a reminder to us all of how important it is to preserve our traditions and develop our culture and inspire the arts of The Bahamas.

Because of Burnside’s great love for Jacaranda House and his endless support there will be a number of songs dedicated to him at The Art & Opera Event Sunday 15th of May at Jacaranda House, Nassau.

Foley and Hepburn

Sunday, 15th May, Jack Foley and Franz Hepburn will be performing for the first time together in Nassau, The Bahamas at the Art & Opera Evening. They have been personally invited by Patricia Oakes Leigh-Wood, the granddaughter of Sir Harry Oakes, to sing at this special evening. It is the first opera evening of its kind to take place at Jacaranda House and with talent like Foley and Hepburn it is an evening not to be missed.

Jack Foley & Franz Hepburn

Jack Foley is a tenor from Durham and Franz Hepburn a bass-baritone from The Bahamas. The vocal duo met while studying on the Opera Course at Morley College in London ten years ago. Morley’s Music Department is highly regarded around the world for delivering quality music training. Many notable composers have worked there including Gustav Holst, Sir Michael Tippett, Ralph Vaughn Williams and John Gardner.
In 2002, they both auditioned for Operatunity which was a unqiue collaboration between English National Opera and Channel 4 to conduct a nation-wide search to find someone to sing in Rigoletto (an opera by Verdi) on the stage at the London Coliseum. Jack was a semi-finalist and Franz a finalist on this award winning programme which aired in 2003. The four- part series went on to win – the Royal Philharmonic Society RPS Music Award, Bafta Television Craft Award, Prix Italia, Broadcast Award, Royal Television Society Programme Award among others.

Jack and Franz have sung previously in other vocal groups and have performed in concert together in Worthing, Chelmsford, Headingley, Hampton Court and Peterborough. After embarking on different journeys three years ago, the pair met up in July 2009 and started singing two months later when they realised that they had similar interests as it relates to bringing music into the lives of the sick and elderly. After a year now, the journey has been quite extraordinary with an overwhelming support from the public and many rewarding experiences.

Their repertoire can be defined as popular classical music, but Jack and Franz see as their main mission to inspire and encourage people through music. As music plays such a pivotal role in our lives, their aim is to use their voices to help others.

In 2011, Jack and Franz will do a mixture of UK and international concerts, corporate events, product launches and some outdoor performances in towns / city centres to support various UK charities.

Foley & Hepburn www.foley-hepburn.com