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One of this coun­try’s old­est (since 1968) and top medi­um steel­bands, Val­ley Harps Steel Or­ches­tra, is on a mis­sion to achieve three key goals be­fore Panora­ma 2026, the most ur­gent be­ing se­cur­ing fund­ing to com­pete in the com­pe­ti­tion. The or­ches­tra’s oth­er goals in­clude invit­ing the com­mu­ni­ty back in­to the pa­n­yard and re­cruit­ing new play­ers.

Dur­ing prac­tice at the Morne Co­co Road, Pe­tit Val­ley, pa­n­yard on Tues­day, new­ly in­stalled chair­man Kevin Carim­bo­cas said the band is head­ing in­to Car­ni­val 2026 with­out a spon­sor. Carim­bo­cas re­vealed that the band needs ap­prox­i­mate­ly $250,000 to par­tic­i­pate in Panora­ma 2026, which be­gins in Jan­u­ary, but he said Val­ley Harps re­main op­ti­mistic, as their fundrais­ers so far have gen­er­at­ed about 15 per cent of that amount ($37,500).

“So it is not all doom and gloom; it is just hard work. We’re go­ing to get there soon­er or lat­er,” he pos­i­tive­ly pro­ject­ed. While they are al­ready in the com­pe­ti­tion, Carim­bo­cas said mon­ey is need­ed for uni­forms, trans­porta­tion and equip­ment.