Mont Fleuri secondary school continues to produce good citizens |21 August 2019

The Mont Fleuri secondary school used to be called the Seychelles College, where I and many of our current good standing colleagues were educated and taught how to behave like good citizens but we were not angels and I recall we had many disagreements during hockey games and instead of hitting the ball we would aim at each other’s shin bone to weaken the opposing team.

The Mont Fleuri College was also an exciting place to be because there were girls behind the walls of the Regina Mundi Convent, opposite and we would climb the walls and tease the girls and the nuns would try their best to scare us away but they did not deter us. This can hardly be regarded as behaving like good citizens but at the end of the day boys will be boys.

In 2012, the Mont Fleuri secondary school painted a stage tapestry of a country scene with horses grazing measuring 15 metres by 10 metres for the Seychelles First Country & Western Jamboree at ICCS where we had live horses on stage as well and the Jamboree was televised in several countries across the world. If you go on the Internet and type ‘Seychelles First Country & Western Jamboree’ you can watch the show and see the Tapestry. We are going to re-use this Tapestry in our next Country Hoedown on Saturday November 23 this year at the NSC Hall (Old SMB Hall) starting at 6pm and people can enjoy a concert, drink and dance Line Dancing and Square Dancing until 1 o’clock the following morning. Unfortunately the painters of the Tapestry have by now left the Mont Fleuri secondary school but in their footsteps some young boys and girls are taking part in the recording of a new CD of country songs, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Seychelles Alzheimer’s Foundation as contribution towards the building of a Memory Care Unit for Alzheimer’s disease sufferers at North East Point.

Despite the fact that the school was closing down for this August recess, these young boys and girls, mostly girls, spent time rehearsing their songs and we thank and congratulate Miss Sheryl Gommefor her dedication and patience for this achievement and we wish to extend our gratitude to the head teacher, Sir Marc Arrisol, who runs this establishment with a proficient and diligent management style, for fitting this extra event at the time the term was closing.

In our last press release on this same subject I referred to the Children’s House Montessori Pre-school 5 to 8 years old singers as little sparrows but this group I would refer to them as the Nightingales because they belted the lyrics of a couple of country songs at Peter Jules’ Recording Studio in Anse Aux Pins last week that will delight even those who do not enjoy country music normally. The CD will be released in September this year. These Nightingales will also perform their song and dance routine at the Country Hoedown on Saturday November 23 at NSC Hall but also just as important they are using their talents to raise funds to teach a boy and a girl to play the Pedal Steel Guitar to replace Jack Yokowo who was the only Pedal Steel Guitar player in Seychelles but sadly Jack left Seychelles and moved to Heaven and we need to continue our tradition of Country Music which is part of our heritage.

In a future article I will share with you how come Seychellois like country music. My Granny enjoyed her 78 inch Bakelite records and I was the one tasked with winding the gramophone and changing the needle after every other record was played and this style of music has become my favourite music genre. I guess I was brainwashed to liking country music but I had no choice and I am very grateful to my Granny for her edification. These young singers have set a good example that when it comes to helping others, age is not a barrier. At such an early age they are contributing to the wellbeing of our society and culture so you can imagine what good citizens they will become, thanks to Mont Fleuri secondary school.

During the month of October and November, this year, the Academy of High Performance Ltd, the promoter and management of this Triple X Country project, will be holding Line Dancing and Square Dancing lessons so keep our number 2515616 somewhere safe so you can contact us if you wish to participate in the dance practice sessions in readiness for the Hoedown Concert on November 23.

Contributed by:

Barry Laine FCIM, FInst SMM, MCMI, MBSCH

Principal of the Academy of High Performance The Wishing Well, Anse Des Genets, Mahé, Seychelles