Pantime Steel Orchestra

Pantime Steel Orchestra was formed in 2000 by a group of music and community enthusiasts in the town of Gros Islet, St. Lucia. The driving motivation for the band was to provide unemployed and marginalized youth an avenue for:

a) earning some money as musicians;
b) positive forms of socialization – channeling of energies, and promoting excellence of character, and;
c) exposure to enrichment events such as regional tours.

Pantime Steel Orchestra consists of a Junior Band and a Senior Band. Our Junior band consists of approximately 40 junior players and our senior Band consists of approximately 80 seasonal players. We also have a Stage Side Band where a number of our players go out to play for events and gigs.

During our 22 years of existence, we can boast success in all three objectives. Pre-COVID many of our members earned a monthly stipend from weekly performances at the hotels; we have been crowned Junior Panorama Champions for three consecutive years and Senior Panorama champions for three consecutive years – 2013, 2014 and 2015; and at least one regional tour annually (Martinique, Barbados etc.). The highlight of our achievements has been our participation in the International Panorama and Steel Band Conference in Trinidad in 2015.

Pantime Steel Orchestra currently has about a total of 65 instruments in the band with 11 types, some of which are: tenor pans, double tenor pans, double seconds pans, guitar pans, bass pans, cello pans etc.

Manager: Cecil “Tortee” Philgence
Captain: Mynell “Shiki” Lovence
Arranger: Amrit Samaroo