His Majesty King Charles III honours local steellband leaderChris Storey BEM.

By Karen Rene

His Majesty King Charles III has in his first New Year’s Honours, bestowed the award of the British Empire Medal to Christopher Storey, teacher, arranger and manager of Pan Nation Steel Orchestra, for his services to steel pan music and to the community in Tottenham. It is apt that the UK should be graced with this homegrown steel pan maestro, given that Haringey was twinned with the town of Arima, Trinidad, the birthplace of the steelpan, in 1989. Since the steel pan was first played at the Festival of Britain on the 26 July 1951, the instrument has grown in popularity in the UK, and is now widely accepted as a musical and cultural artform in our multicultural society.

For over 25 years, Chris has taught children throughout schools in Haringey. He has wholeheartedly shared his love, knowledge and respect for this culturally rooted musical form, encouraging his students to be the best they can be. He is totally committed to ensure that all of his students, no matter their background, have access to steel pans, which are expensive to purchase.

Chris created Pan Nation Steel Orchestra (PNSO) from scratch 13 years ago and in that period he has worked tirelessly in his free time, to offer the youth a safe space to congregate, engage in positive activity and develop their musical skills with the goal of sharing this music and bringing the community together. Community cohesion is very important to Chris and is even at the root of the band’s name. Every summer Pan Nation hosts a Blockorama, a free live outdoor steel pan event, showcasing multiple steelbands which is held at Lordship Recreation Ground, as well as a Winter Concert every Christmas time at Gladesmore Community School. Pan Nation Steel Orchestra is the official steelband for Tottenham Hotspurs Football Club and throughout the football season they can be seen out in the community playing live at Spurs’ home matches.

Under Chris’s guidance, Pan Nation has become one of the foremost steelbands in the UK. In the most recent UK Panorama Competition, Pan Nation placed in the top three bands which was an excellent outcome for what was only their second time participating - on their first outing, they were voted winner of the People’s Choice! Chris’s dedication to promoting steel pan music has never waned and today, Pan Nation has grown into four discrete bands - the family now comprises the main band and three adult learner bands. Through his work with Pan Nation, Chris has shone a positive light on Tottenham and his classes attract students from the Greater London area and beyond to the band’s base (pan yard) at Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School. His contribution to music teaching in Haringey is kindly supported by Haringey Music Service and he is also assisted by a group of Pan Nation volunteers.

In addition to teaching music, Chris is highly regarded as an arranger by his peers and his unique style has attracted the admiration of many including renowned Trinbagonian arranger and pannist Duvone Stewart . Chris has won numerous competitions and awards both as a pannist and arranger but he remains a man of immense humility. He lives to play and arrange steel pan music, fostering unity in joy, peace and purpose to all who play and to those who listen.