Lemuel McPherson Christian
L. M. Christian Eastern Caribbean | |
|---|---|
| Parent(s) | William Matthew Christian and Beryl Christian (nee Jones)[1] |
| Relatives | Pearle Christian (niece)
Gabriel J. Christian, Esq. (nephew) Wendell M. Christian (brother) |
| Awards | Golden Drum Award |
Lemuel McPherson Christian
Biography
L. M. Christian, born on the island of Saint Kitts, where his Antigua-born father William Matthew Christian (1879–1961) was serving as a police sergeant in the Leeward Islands Police Force, came to Dominica as a child with his parents, in 1918.[1]
Following in the footsteps of his father, a skilled guitarist who in the 1930s founded a family orchestra, L. M. Christian in 1944 opened the Christian Musical Class and Commercial School, the first music school in the
He was appointed a
Alongside lyrics by Wilfred Oscar Morgan Pond (1912–1985),
Christian was inducted into the Hall of Fame of St Luke’s Primary School.[11]
Family life
Christian passed on his love of music to his children, all of whom are professional musicians including his daughters Peganini, Palestrina, and Verdi,[5] and his sons Handel and Purcell. In 2013, Purcell Christian received a Golden Drum Award, Dominica's highest cultural award, "for giving praise-worthy service work in music education and performance".[12]
L. M. Christian's siblings included Wendell McKenzie Christian (1921–2011, father of Gabriel J. Christian) and Henckell Lockinvar Christian, who was the father of music educator and composer Pearle Christian and served as Minister of Education and Health in the Dominica government.[5][13][14]
References
- ^ a b c Gabriel J. Christian, Aboard the Commandante Pineres: Dominica, The 11th World Festival of Youth & Students, Cuba July 1978, & the Caribbean Struggle for National Liberation, Pont Casse Press, 2016.
- ^ "DOMINICA : Dominica National Anthem", National Anthems of the World Organisation.
- ^ "National Anthem", Government of Dominica.
- ^ "Dominica's National Anthem", A Virtual Dominica.
- ^ a b c Musicians, Cultural Icons of Dominica.
- ^ Lennox Honychurch. "Dominica's Cultural Icons | Musicians". A Virtual Dominica. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ Supplement to the London Gazette, 11 June 1966, p. 6553.
- ^ "Dominica's Culutral [sic] Icons". Cultural Icons of Dominica. A Virtual Dominica. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ Xing Hang (ed.), "Dominica — Commonwealth of Dominica", Encyclopedia of National Anthems, p. 188.
- ^ Alex Marshall, "And the winning anthem is ...", The Guardian, 11 August 2008.
- ^ "St Luke’s Primary School’s Hall of Fame", Dominica Vibes, 30 April 2013.
- ^ "Five receive highest cultural award", Dominica Vibes, 31 July 2013.
- ^ Gabriel Christian, "The Interwar Years & the Caribbean Soldier in Social Transformation: A DOMINICAN PERSPECTIVE", p. 6, note 9.
- ^ Judge Irving Andre, "In Memory of Our Distinguished Dominicans", Dominica Academy of Arts and Sciences, 17 October 2011.
External links
- Gabriel Christian, "A Tribute to Lemuel Mcpherson Christian - Author of the Musical Score to Dominica's National Anthem", 22 October 2020.