A SUCCESSFUL AJ SEYMOUR CENTENARY by Francis Quamina Farrier

A SUCCESSFUL AJ SEYMOUR CENTENARY by Francis Quamina Farrier

 Ms Jane Seymour, the daughter of Guyana’s celebrated poet, AJ Seymour, and Dr Jacqueline de Weever, the niece of the poet, are now back in the Unites States, after spending a special week in Georgetown, Guyana. They were there to participate in functions celebrating the Birth Centenary of the poet Arthur James Seymour, which was on January 12, 2014, and which proved to be quite a success.

The principal function was the staging of a poetry concert, “SEE MORE POETRY”, which was held at the Theatre Guild Playhouse in Kingston, Georgetown, on Sunday January 12, to a sold-out audience.  A wide variety of the poems by Seymour were read by some of Guyana’s well-known radio, theatre and cultural luminaries. They included Margaret Lawrence, Ron Robinson, Ian McDonald, Rupert Roopnaraine, Francis Quamina Farrier, Joan Cambridge, Ras Michael, Nazim Hussain and Malcolm DeFreitas.  

A section of the audience which packed the Theatre Guild Playhouse for the centenary of the Celebrated Guyanese poet.

The National Dance Company added to the quality and variety of the production with an interpretative dance to Seymour’s poem “Getesmanie”. The dance was choreographed by veteran dancer and choreographer, Vivienne Daniels. Two singers, Russel Lancaster and Sweet Kendingo, added vocals to two Seymour poems in song. The producer of that “SEE MORE POETRY” concert, was the National Library. It was the brainchild of Chief Librarian, the late Ms Gillian Thompson, who was killed in a traffic crash on Christmas Eve just three weeks before the concert. A minute silence was held at the concert to her memory.

Ms Joan Seymour and her cousin Dr Jacqueline de Weever also attend two other events, while they were in Guyana; the opening of the National Hall of Fame at the National Library, and the induction of AJ Seymour as the first inductee in that Hall of Fame. Dr de Weever also delivered a lecture on Literature, in the Conference Room at the National Library. Both ladies expressed the view that the centenary observances of their father and uncle, AJ Seymour, was a success.