MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Robin Lee Memorial Trust Encourages Falklands Music Tradition.

A Music Trust to encourage traditional live music in the Falkland Islands has been set up by Mrs Hattie Lee, in memory of Robin Lee, himself an enthusiastic musician.
She has also donated a Robin Lee Memorial Trophy for musical excellence. The first winner was 15-year-old Donna Triggs, who was presented with the trophy by Mrs Lee.

Donna, daughter of Mike and Diane Triggs, of Stanley, comes from a musical family. She won the award for her determination and rapid progress in learning the violin. Her music teacher, Shirley Adams Leach, had to learn at the same time as she hadn't previously played the violin! Donna also plays the keyboard and has written some music.

The initiative involves ambitious plans to promote live music, encourage young musicians, hold musical evenings and weekend events and publish a glossy Falklands songbook with all the traditional songs written to music. It will include a social history about Falklands music and be illustrated with photographs including black and white pictures of the past showing old Falkland Islanders playing in clubs and farm bunkhouses. Compilation of a CD could follow, to be sold to tourists as well as locals, with the songbook and the history of Falklands music.

A future plan is to create a museum at Port Howard that portrays Falklands farm life in camp and has a music section that will have old songs playing as people, including cruise ship passengers, browse around the exhibits.

It is a particularly appropriate memorial to Robin Lee, who played the guitar and the accordian. His father, Syd Lee, was an accomplished accordianist, who regularly played at local dances, with other old time musicians such as Des Peck and Les Lee. Hattie Lee says: "Robin adored live music, preferring Country and Western, traditional folk .... and Elvis! He just loved listening to people play, always stopping to listen to buskers, brass bands, pipers - whoever was playing. Robin had a great respect for the Falklands traditions and for all the old boys, especially in camp. So this just seems to be a good way for people to remember him. The trust, we feel, will benefit many people in our community, the children as well as future Falklands generations. If something isn't done soon, this important part of their heritage will be lost as television takes over".

There is already a lively emphasis on music in Stanley's schools where as many as 270 children take part in music lessons. The talented music teacher, Shirley Adams Leach, is one of the Trustees, as is the Falklands Government archivist, Jane Ca