In 30 years those who those who formed and joined the group as mere high school students have grown into admirable men and women who have held tight to their ideology and created a vision to be generously shared with those who came later. We have had our obstacles. We have been challenged by and coped with the death of young members of the group; faced, perhaps with a little more acceptance, the deaths of mothers, fathers and other relatives of group members and continue to share with those of us who are care givers in sometimes difficult situations. We have also had to participate, with mixed emotions, in the departure of members of the group who have moved on to build a better life for themselves and their families.

But we have also had our joys. We celebrate those members who have stuck to the group through thick and thin, the nucleus that makes the group indestructible. We reminisce about various overseas trips and still carry the wild applause of the audience at the 2000 Choir Olympics in Linz, Austria in our ears. More recently we were very pleased to receive a Silver Musgrave medal for Excellence in Music from the Institute of Jamaica.

The year 2003 has been an interesting one for the group. We recognize that the next 30 years of our existence has to be approached with greater diligence, commitment and discipline; that we cannot accept and become a microcosm of the larger society in which we live but that we must work assiduously to uphold the high standards that have been set by us for us.

We must take time to thank our extended families, friends, audiences and well wishers, who have stood by our side with encouragement, understanding, and patience. We thank the business community for its ongoing financial and other kinds of assistance. We thank those who continue to share their knowledge with us and hope that we may continue to reply on your support. Thank you all.

The Cari-Folk Singers