May 2nd, 1998: NCB Angel Harps return home; Grenada's top steel orchestra, the NCB Angel Harps returned to Grenada today after a successful one week tour of Barbados for that island's annual Congaline Festival.

The Harps appeared at Congaline Village, Dover on Sunday April 26th when they teamed up with the Garrison School Steelband of Barbados and the Tripolians (pan round de neck) Steelband from Trinidad to entertain hundreds of Barbadians with sweet steelband music.

The next appearance at the Dover Congaline Village was on Wednesday 22nd April when the Harps kicked off an evening of fun and constant jamming for thousands of Barbadians which cluminated with a performance from top Barbados band, Krosfyah.

On Thursday, the Harps were again on the move, this time in the St. Lawrence Gap area, where they provided music at two locations on that day's Conga Lime.

Friday May 1st, saw the Harps at Collymore Rock, jamming sweet soca for all the revellers who had come up Highway 7 on the final leg of the Congaline Festival, the Congaline Street Party.

Public Relations Officer for the Harps, Andy Chichester said that "all in all, the visit to Barbados was a wonderful experience for the band. I was particularly pleased with the professional quality of our performances and the behaviour and discipline of our members who were indeed true and worthy ambassadors for both Angel Harps and Grenada". His only disappointment was "what appeared to be the low general support that the steelband culture received in Barbados. However", he added, "it is even more satisfying to know that despite this, the Harps were able to generate interest wherever they went and it was visits like these that would help in raising the conciousness of Barbadians towards the Pan Movement.

Manager of Angel Harps, Carlyle Roberts said that the visit also enabled the Harps to establish ties with other steelbands in the Caribbean, namely the Garrison School Steelband and the St. James Tripolians out of Trinidad. He also expressed, on behalf of the Angel Harps, the band's appreciation to the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) of Barbados for accommodating the band in the Festival and in particular Ms. Fran Wickham of the NCF who looked after a number of administrative arrangements while the Orchestra was in Barbados.

April 24th, 1998: NCB Angel Harps to participate in Barbados Malibu Congaline Festival; A twenty-two (22) member contingent from the NCB Angel Harps Steel Orchestra will leave Grenada on Saturday afternoon for Barbados to participate in that island's annual Congaline Festival.

The Tanteen-based Orchestra is scheduled for 5 performances during their week in Barbados culminating in a street parade on the final day of the Festival. The orchestra will return to Grenada on May 2nd.

Andy Chichester, PRO for the NCB Angel Harps says that the Orchestra had been contemplating this trip to the Barbados Festival as much as two years ago and due to the hard work and dedication of the band, were finally able to make the trip this year. Apart from providing some form of incentive for the membership of the band, he said that the tour to Barbados will also help to expose the members of the steel orchestra to neighbouring cultures, music and festivals, an experience that could assist in the development of the members' musical talents.

The Angel Harps steel orchestra is Grenada's oldest and most successful steel orchestra, having been formed in 1965 and is currently sponsored by the National Commercial Bank of Grenada Limited, a partnership that has been going since 1982.

The orchestra also boasts an outstanding Panorama Championship record, having won the Championship on at least ten (10) occasions, and the Junior Panorama Championships twice.

This will be the orchestra's fifth overseas tour, having visited Barbados in 1972, Trinidad in 1977, Cuba in 1979 for Carifesta'79 and aboard the MV Victoria in 1982.

March 16th, 1998: Angel Harps planning Congaline tour to Barbados end April; NCB Angel Harps are planning to tour Barbados for that country's Congaline Festival this year. The band is expected to leave Grenada on April 25th and return on May 2nd. A total of between 25-30 members of the band are expected to make the trip.