Unto Us A Child Is Born

Berkeley's living cultural legacy

Wayne Berkeley created the scenic production design for Carnival Messiah in 1998/1999, in close collaboration with Clary Salandy who was responsible for creating the costumes and masquerade design for the production. The singularly incredible, outstanding and dramatic work that these two amazing Theatre of Carnival designers created has been wholly responsible for the ongoing spectacular visual impact that Carnival Messiah is recognised and remembered for throughout the world.

Carnival Messiah is a radical re-invention of Georg Friedrich Handel’s oratorio ‘Messiah’, for large scale stage and theatre, featuring Caribbean and contemporary popular music and dance genres, showcased through the spectacular carnival and masquerade of Trinidad and Tobago. A landmark production, Carnival Messiah is a glowing exemplar of the Caribbean’s capacity for world class creativity. As an original and distinctive aesthetic product, Carnival Messiah presents as a unique expression of Caribbean consciousness that theatrically reflects its close historical association with the cultures of Europe, Africa and Asia over the past 500 years.

Berkeley was well known and completely respected by the entire international Carnival Messiah performing and production company, with whom he worked closely (most recently at Harewood House, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom) for more than 13 years (1998-2011). Most admit that it was a true honour to have known him and experienced his formidable talent first hand. He will be sadly missed. Dr Geraldine Connor CM, creator of Carnival Messiah fondly remembers “how wonderful it was to work with such an intuitive and creative artist, who could design and draw my thoughts and mindscapes long before I could even begin to express these graphically in words…he was very special to us…” Wayne’s cultural legacy will live on and be globally celebrated when Carnival Messiah, destined to create an incredible and far-reaching impact for all aspects of Trinidad and Tobago performance culture, is produced in London in 2012.

The two Jeffrey Chock photographs taken in 2003 of the production of Carnival Messiah, describe the complete mastery and scope of Wayne Berkeley’s scenic production design imagination. The first is the realisation of his set for J’Ouvert at Green Corner (Port-of-Spain), and the second, a Caribbean Market Place fit for the announcement for the birth of “Baby Jesus” in For Unto Us A Child Is Born.

Unto us a child is born | The King's English

Isaiah was facing a terrifying army sweeping down from the north.  The people were “in the land of the shadow of death.”  It seems like Isaiah had been meditating on Psalm 23 which uses exactly the same language.  What possible “light” could dawn on this devastating darkness?

Well, again, Isaiah reminds the people of Immanuel .  He

For unto us a child is born , unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.  (Isaiah 9:6-7)