Lydians & Svaada partner to raise funds for music mission

The Lydians perform at Mount St. Benedict Easter 2018 in fundraising effort for the church

The Lydians’ mission statement has remained a beacon over the years, encouraging the group to continue its duty of service to the communities of Trinidad and Tobago, through countless artistic collaborations, crossing the barriers of class, genre and culture. After having lost its only corporate sponsor of 22 years in 2013, the choir has had to adjust, making efforts to search for a new sponsor. For its immediate needs, it has reorganized, strategized and will continue to work toward continuing its legacy onward into the future.
 

Spirit of Community & Volunteerism

The spirit of community and volunteerism is an inherent Lydian character trait. The group's activities have included community outreach assisting many churches of various denominations and other groups across the country. It has also included other charitable institutions in the support of their respective goals. 

The Lydians typically perform – unpaid for many community organizations and in many communities-in-need across the country. Past projects have included free performances at Tamarind Square, Brain Lara Promenade and at countless fundraising concerts for many churches and for special interest groups across the nation.

Within recent years, the choir has had to reduce the number of performances per year because the success of Lydians community-driven performances depends on the mobility of the choir to take its performances to those in need. Most venues where the Lydians would like to perform do not have the sound system support needed for a choral group, steel ensemble and instrumental orchestra of this size. Nevertheless, the mission remains. Part of what the Lydians would like to continue offering to the community, is to offer themselves as a one-stop-shop performing group.

A Sound of Their Own

Over the years, the choir has received generous support from organizations in fulfilling this goal. For example, in 2011, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Trinidad and Tobago invested in the Lydians community outreach by donating a set of portable, professional-grade performance lights, which have been extremely helpful in contributing to the Lydians mission of music across the country. These lights continue to serve well in all choir community outreach activities.

One critical feature of the choir's community effort is that of a functioning, performance sound system. The current sound system owned by the Lydians has served the group well over the years. 

However, with time and the rapid change of technology, the current BOSE sound system - once dreadfully out of date - has now completely ceased to function, which has resulted in considerable funds being expended on hiring professional sound support for every Lydians community event. This additional cost has limited the number of free and fundraising community performances that the choir can do per year and is a burden not only on the Lydians, but on those who invite the choir to perform to raise fund and fulfill the ministry of music. 

“Side by Side we stand” in Music 

Svaada Gourmet Indian Kitchen, located on the restaurant deck of One Woodbrook Place in Port of Spain, has a successful history of helping others raise funds for different causes. The restaurant, popular for its high quality authentic Indian food have partnered with The Lydians for the fundraiser, 'If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On!" 

The funds raised from this final effort will be combined with financing already secured from two years of activity the Lydians have undertaken to source a state-of-the-art sound system outfitted with all the necessary equipment to support a choir and steel orchestra for musical outreach activities. The choir hopes to accomplish this during the coming year in the lead up to its 40th anniversary celebrations, which are scheduled to begin in 2019.

Ticket vouchers of a $50 will be available in support of the purchase of a new public performance sound system for the Lydians, tickets available from all choir members or by calling 794-6391. For more information, call 296-9556, email info@thelydianstt.com or visit the Lydians: www.thelydianstt.com or on Facebook: facebook.com/TheLydiansTT.

The Lydians perform at Mount St. Benedict Easter 2018 in fundraising effort for the church.