Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
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Dear Friends,
Here is nice story that gives insight of the musical talents, in this case Steelpan.
Few months ago we published articles on the Guitar talents.
Also about a proposed JAM reunion in
If you are not getting the Circular, please contact me at, kertesz11@yahoo.com,
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Salah Wilson's story
Nigel P. Boos
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 10:33:35 PM
From: Glen Mckoy <mckoy43glen@hotmail.com>
Date: April 22, 2009 3:56:41 PM GMT-04:00
Oh Thank you very much for this, I remember Salah, he is older than me, I remember when he started with the pan side Gay Flamingo´s down the hill,
I also met him a good few years ago, when he came with a pan side from
I never knew his mother was a matron on the mount, as she left a year or two before I came up on the mount.
This is so great as we fit parts of this great puzzle together, God bless you all for these surprises.
Best regards my brother,
Glen McKoy
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From: coscarartsalvador@hotmail.com
Subject: FW: Salah Wilson's story
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:36:01 -0500
Hello guys ,
Howdy. Here is the matron that used to mend and attach buttons to our shirts, in the dormitory above the chemistry room was her work room .
Do you remember her, she was a very nice lady.
God bless
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From: nigelboos@eagles-wings.ca
Subject: Salah Wilson's story
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:24:36 -0400
Dear Salah,
What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it with us. I can feel, in every line, the love that flowed, and still flows, between you and your mother, and now that it has been exposed, the affection between Matron Wilson and Kitty Marcus.
How fortunate that the two old ladies have ended up in the same retirement home in
Thank you also for your lovely pictures of Kitty and your Mom, your wife and yourself.
These are quite special, and I'm sure that the
I must have been at the Mount myself during the time that your mother was the matron, and so I must have run into (figuratively) her more than once, but to be honest, I do not specifically recall her. I'm sure others will.
Please give her our best regards, from all the Old Boys of the
It would be helpful if we had a telephone number for Angel Da Silva, so that
Can you let me have it?
Once again, thanks for your first class story.
Nigel P. Boos
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On 21-Apr-09, at 8:23 PM, Salah Wilson wrote:
Greetings Nigel,
I have some new information for you and perhaps it can be passed on to Ladislao.
I got in touch with Angel Da Silva who remembers Salvador Coscarart much better than I and he will also be willing to meet with him when he comes to
The latest Circular about Miss Marcus and the intentions were very touching.
I have some personal revelations to share.
First of all I grew up in the
Due to the fact that one of my cousins succeeded in passing his 'Common Entrance' exams to attend CIC (St Mary's College).
The following year Abbey school offered scholarships for three people to attend the school on the Mount.
The three people who qualified, by sitting and passing an exam were Franklin Chin, Anthony Cedeno and I.
(I already mentioned to you that Anthony Cedeno was my best friend and that he passed on in 1991 at a very young age ..may he Rest In Peace),
Deno, as we called him lived near the playing field you would have to pass in front of his house to go back up the hill to the Mount, Deno's father also worked at the Mount as a chef.
I have no idea where Franklin Chin is at. But he did visit my home in the village about 10-15 years ago.
My mother has had a long relationship with Miss Marcus.
I actually knew her before I attended Abbey school. At least every year around Christmas time Miss Marcus would visit our home in the village and bring my mother a Christmas gift and my mom would reciprocate with a Homemade Sponge Cake or Fruit Cake, it was an annual ritual.
My mom became friends with Miss Marcus because my Mom also worked at the
She worked there from before I was born until when I was in perhaps Form III...that would be sometime before 1952 until around 1966.
My mom was the Matron at the school.
She is now 90 years old and I spoke with her a few days ago and I mentioned about the "Old Boys' the "Boarders" and "Day Boys" and all what is happening on the internet, and the connections with everyone and about Miss Marcus, she was very excited.
I also told her that I wanted to speak about her employment at the Mount and she had no objections, she was very proud to have been a part of that experience.
She remembered how kind some of the students were to her ..one name that stuck out amongst the others was 'Azar' ..she clearly remembers him and his kindness to her
If he is on line also please let him know this, there were others also.
She gave me some beautiful stories they all called her Matron, so if you were there during that period you would have met or seen her also.
I am very proud of my Mom she worked so hard to raise her children.
As an author I may yet write a documentary book on my experiences at the Mount. It would make for a good story from a boy in the village to the Mount.
Abbey school was a very prestigious school, a school for the affluent.
About two or three years ago when I visited
At first they had said that I may have to get an appointment because of his schedule ..
I told them that he would want to see too old Friends and I gave the names that he knew, Anthony Wilson and his mother Iris Wilson.
True to the person we know him to be, he came out almost instantly.
I took some picture... there was such a bright glow when they hugged.. anyone would smile when they see those pictures ...alas..
I am unable to find them at the moment they are probably on my computer in
However my mom who is now 90 years became ill a couple of years ago and because of some renovations at our home I was forced to take her out of our home for awhile , but as fate would have it.....I took her to the home for the aged on the mount where Miss Marcus is currently staying.
What a meeting of old Friends..... now..prior to this every time I returned home my mom always wanted to go look for her old friend Kitty Marcus, but this was the time it had to happen.
It was a great meeting Miss Marcus was very pleased to see me also, even though I had a big greying beard ..quite different from when I last saw her in my Chemistry class...but she still recognized me and of course her friend my Mom.
When Mother's Day came around I provided some entertainment for them by bringing up my Steelpans and back - up music along with my wife who does vocals.
It was a fun filled afternoon I gave her one of my autographed Steelpan text books and thanked her for all she had done and yes I told her that there was a lot of chemistry concepts in putting together suck a book.
She took the microphone and gave a speech where everyone present applauded ....She was still quite active.
I do have a couple of pictures from this event they are attached ... insert are my Mom ( the Matron), my wife (the vocalist), Miss Marcus ( the Chemistry teacher) and I ( the Pan-Man and Author).
Life is filled with all sorts of twist and turns but these moments are unforgettable.
As I said I may eventually write a book about this continuing Saga.
All for now Nigel, that's a lot of reading...there still is more information
Salah Anthony Wilson
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Nigel P. Boos
Friday, May 8, 2009 3:09:22 PM
Gentlemen,
I heard from Salah Wilson (MSB 1970) today.
He lives at D'do, close to
He has also written a few books (5, I think) on steel-band, some of which are today used as text books in
He's married and has at least 2 children, the youngest 22.
Salah's mother had worked for many years as the Matron at MSB and he had won a scholarship to study at the
Salah called to say that his town house had burned down 2 days ago, and that he had lost all of his worldly possessions, including 6 computers and all his hard drives, his photographs, his books, etc., but thankfully, no one was killed.
The fire is under police investigation and arson is suspected.
His spirit was strong, and he said he has been receiving telephone calls from all over the world, from people he never had heard of, but who knew of his work with the steel-band, through his books.
I suggested, and he agreed that I should let the MSB Old Boys know about his situation. In case anyone would like to contact Salah, you may be able to do so via his cell phone at 1(514) 924-7307
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On 9-Apr-09, at 9:15 PM, Salah Wilson wrote:
Hi Nigel,
Looking at the names of these 'old boys' really brings back a lot of beautiful memories.
I would like to maybe add a few things to my stuff.
First I would like to submit a name of one of my good friends who started with me.
We grew up together and was my best friend ...but he passed on...his name Anthony Cedeno 1963-1969...He passed on in 1991 (May he Rest in Peace)
Two other guys who started with me (Franklin Chin, Ronald Billouin) I would like to know their wherabouts.
No one knows D.D.O.( which is on the outskirts of
Secondly I am an author and proud Steelpan Activist ..."Salah" Wilson was not my actual name in school but it is the name that I prefer to be called and also my Pen name as an author.
Some of my steelpan text books are now being used in the public school's curriculum in Trinidad & Tobago.
Back in school I was called "Willy" short for
I will send more stuff of other guys who were there with me.
I am also going to try to get in touch with some of the guys I see on the list.......
Nigel you are doing a great job and service ...thanks
Salah Wilson
(Montreal)
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Salvador Coscarart
Thursday, April 16, 2009 10:18:44 AM
Hello Mr.
My name is Salvador Coscarart I am from
I attended the abbey school in 1967 thru 1974.
So from seeing on the information that Nigel Boos send me I was there when you was there for three years so you was with Attila Gyuris, Fulvio Cantore, Cecil Camacho, Paul Quesnel, Rafael Echeverria, Ronnie Lew, Roberto Mezzana, Miguel Angel Luongo, Edgar and Eloy Moffie, Gonzalo Montiel, etc...
Well just to mention a few of your old class mates. I will be arriving in Montréal on June 2nd, be staying with some friends in Montréal and if possible will like to meet with you and some of the older guys that went to Mount.
Best wishes
Salvador Coscarart.
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Salvador Coscarart
Thursday, April 16, 2009 10:14:25 PM
Hello Ladislao,
as you can from this e-mail I have made contact with another student from my time at mount.
I will be meeting with him in June when I go visit Montréal and
God bless and regards to all.
Hope things in
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From: salah@steelpanplus.com
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:31:14 -0400
Greetings
I remember your name 'Coscarart' ...difficult to put a face to the name after all of these years.
I could easily remember guys like Camacho and Paul Quesnel.
I have been living in
I could get by in French not quite fluent because I live and work in the English Sector (I remember Father Augustine "rugged head" who taught French at the Abbey).
I never thought that I would end up in
I became a musician and Teacher by doing a Degree at
I have also introduced the Steelpan program to the public schools since 1991 where my kids and I are the Teachers in seven schools.
I have also become an author and have written six Steelpan Text books of which one is being currently in use at the Public schools of Trinidad & Tobago.
My family and I also run our own private Steelpan school and are responsible for putting on two major Festival.
If you are in
Come by and visit me at my school when you get into
My Cell phone (514) 924-7307
Best wishes
Salah Wilson
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On goings of an Old boy:
Vernon De Lima (MSB 1950 ??) and a leading member of the recently-formed Congress of the People (COP) Party.
During the recent
Before a confrontation took place, he approached the police and pointed out that their protest was a legal one and that they had received a signed, official permit to protest, a fact that the police apparently were unaware of.
They withdrew and no one was arrested.
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Some Salah´s photos of the reunion at St. Joseph´s
Regards
Ladislao Kertesz, kertesz11@yahoo.com
So now you have all the exchange and photos.
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09SW0001SWIGRP, Wilson´s wife, Miss Kitty Marcus and Matron Wilson
09SW0118MKI, Matron Wilson, Wilson´s wife, Miss Kitty Marcus and Salah Wilson
56CJ0001FABBOT, Fr. Abbot Adelbert van Duin
09LK1775TTVISIT,
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