E. Clement Bethel
Encyclopedia
Edward Clement Bethel was a Bahamian
composer, pianist and choral director who became the first Director of Culture in the Bahamas.
He was trained as a classical pianist
in London
, but chose to dedicate his life to the development of culture in the Bahamas. Under his direction, the new nation of the Bahamas learned an appreciation of its indigenous music. He co-wrote and directed the Independence Pageant, a survey of Bahamian history from pre-Columbian days to Bahamian Independence from Britain, which was performed on the evening leading up to the morning of July 10, 1973. He was the composer of the folk opera Sammie Swain, which he adapted from a Bahamian folktale, and he wrote and arranged countless Bahamian songs. His MA thesis in ethnomusicology, Music in The Bahamas: its Roots, Rhyme and Personality, studied the development of Bahamian music from the slave era to the 20th century, and one chapter of that thesis was expanded into the book Junkanoo: Festival of The Bahamas (Macmillan
Caribbean
1992, ISBN 0-333-55469-8).
He died at the age of 49 from a hereditary kidney illness. His daughter, Nicolette Bethel, has continued his work and expanded Junkanoo: Festival of The Bahamas.
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
composer, pianist and choral director who became the first Director of Culture in the Bahamas.
He was trained as a classical pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, but chose to dedicate his life to the development of culture in the Bahamas. Under his direction, the new nation of the Bahamas learned an appreciation of its indigenous music. He co-wrote and directed the Independence Pageant, a survey of Bahamian history from pre-Columbian days to Bahamian Independence from Britain, which was performed on the evening leading up to the morning of July 10, 1973. He was the composer of the folk opera Sammie Swain, which he adapted from a Bahamian folktale, and he wrote and arranged countless Bahamian songs. His MA thesis in ethnomusicology, Music in The Bahamas: its Roots, Rhyme and Personality, studied the development of Bahamian music from the slave era to the 20th century, and one chapter of that thesis was expanded into the book Junkanoo: Festival of The Bahamas (Macmillan
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
1992, ISBN 0-333-55469-8).
He died at the age of 49 from a hereditary kidney illness. His daughter, Nicolette Bethel, has continued his work and expanded Junkanoo: Festival of The Bahamas.