Reflections of Michael Herald Sutton

By Elcelia Sutton 



On May 10, 1966, the first son and second child of Elcelia and Cecil Sutton of Butlers Village, St. James Parish, Nevis was born.


I can recall the joy I felt when I found out that I was pregnant with him, for after the birth of my first child, I fell ill, which led to my doctors advising that I could never bear another child and if I had any more, I would be a crippled woman. I loved children and wanted a big family, so I prayed fervently to the Lord for another child and promised to dedicate him/her to the Lord if my prayers were answered, and if a son, I would name him Michael Herald and it came to pass.


We identified Herald’s extraordinary musical talent while he was yet a toddler. I remember when he was about 5 years old he sat under an apple tree surrounded by a number of boys from the village. There, he had his first band - complete with a number of milk cans and sticks. He was drumming and instructing the other boys which tin to drum. This little band continued from Monday to Friday especially during school holidays.


Herald would make music with his toes and put his little piano between the chair bars. His cousin, Laughton Brandy also made note of his ability at an early age. Our home became an entertainment music centre for the young people.


His father, an accomplished musician, commenced piano lessons with him at the tender age of 9. Herald was a natural.


Herald attended the Whitehall Primary School and travelled there on his father’s motorcycle. He was a model student and never gave his teachers any trouble. His fellows admired him – so much so that he always assisted them with their school work.


We knew that God had a purpose for Herald’s life and this became more evident during those times when he encountered strange experiences.


When he was 9 years old he laid on his back – stiff - eyes wide opened, as if in a trance - not moving with his hands in the air and not responding to any of my calls and shakes. In my distress, I called Millie James our neighbour. She shouted “Herald! Herald!” and gave him two hard slaps. He came to himself and everyone was relieved. To this day I wonder if he was experiencing a vision.



Another incident I can recall was when Herald was looking forward to walking down to Butlers Bay where his grandfather Ezekiel, a then fisherman, was coming in with his catch. This was a journey Herald always enjoyed.


However, on this particular day, his legs became stiff - he couldn’t move. I was petrified. The other boys who would usually take this journey with him returned with some alarming news. A classmate almost drowned. I felt that if he had gone to the beach that day and got into that condition, he might have been the one who almost drowned.


Despite these distressing events early in his life, he excelled in secondary school. As a student at the Gingerland Secondary School, he played the piano for the morning assemblies and even though he was the one who was kept home on days when there was not enough lunch to be shared among himself and his siblings - he was very contented.


While he was attending the 6th Form College in Charlestown, his ‘almost white shirts’ were thin and worn with a yellowish tint. Observing the state of his shirts and acknowledging my inability to buy new ones for him, I prayed to the Lord saying, “Lord, the condition is terrible. I do not have it. Please provide a shirt for my child. It is melting on him. Thank you Lord.”


Within a few hours, a messenger came to the door with a package. I, not expecting an answer to my prayer so quickly, told the messenger – “This does not belong to me. Take it back!” The package was taken back to Susannah Weekes, a fellow church sister. Susanna brought back the package herself and explained that Sister Ada Charles gave her the package to deliver. Not satisfied with that explanation, I went over to Sister Charles and enquired as to whether there was some sort of misunderstanding.


Sister Charles said. “Sister, I notice the condition of your child’s shirts and send to my husband in St. Johns to send a few shirts for him.” I thanked her and returned home. I felt this was God’s hand of mercy and a direct answer to a sincere prayer. God had a plan for Herald.


Being a humble young man, he played for Church every week in the same outfit. I often felt bad but he was so happy going to Church to play. Our cousin, Annie Mills sent a package one day with some clothes Yvette sent from St. Maarten. He was relieved of his one suit.


Herald devoted his talent to the Lord and was appointed to be one of the Church Organists. Mr. Phenihas Griffin heard him perform piano renditions at the Mannings SDA Church and he, also a musician, was impressed with his talents and encouraged him to become part of the Nevis Community Choir.


Showing his confidence in Herald, in 1983, the Nevis Community Choir under the leadership of Mr. Phenihas Griffin started a special fund with $300.00 at Barclays Bank as an incentive for Herald to pursue a degree course in music at the University of the Virgin Islands.


After graduating from the Sixth-Form college at the Charlestown Secondary School, Nevis Herald embarked on a teaching career at Combermere School on September 23rd 1985 but only worked there for 1 year.


He subsequently got the opportunity to attend the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) in St. Thomas to pursue advanced studies in music. He graduated on the 12th day of May, 1995 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Music Education with concentration in Piano.


While residing in St. Thomas, he became engaged in extra curricular activities involving music. Most notably, was his appointment as an organist and choir director at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation from 1989 to 1994. He taught music at the Church’s annual summer camp program and directed and accompanied a host of choirs and musical groups in concerts throughout the United States Virgin Islands.


In 1991, he provided musical backing for a singing group, Touch of Love, during a concert tour in Switzerland. At the end of the tour and while returning to St. Thomas via New York he was stopped and questioned by immigration officers who did not believe that he was a student at University of the Virgin Islands.


He gave them the name and number of the Admissions Secretary of the institution - knowing that she was the ideal contact person who would provide information that will verify his story. It turned out that the same Secretary he paid his tuition fee to, denied knowing him. These turn of events made the situation even more distressing.


As a consequence, the immigration authorities arrested and handcuffed him and sent him back to Switzerland on the next flight. He had to spend several days in Switzerland while Mr. Edward Griffin did everything he could to get the matter rectified. He had to relay this misfortune to us in Nevis.


Herald was then able to travel to England and back to Nevis. Honourable Vance Amory assisted in his return by giving a testimonial on Herald’s behalf indicating what a model citizen of Nevis he was. As a result, he was allowed to re-enter the USVI to continue his studies. He was cared for and nurtured by an Adventist sister, Mrs. Doris Benjamin who always referred to him as her adopted son.


In 1992, Herald became terribly sick and he was placed in intensive care in St. Thomas. At the same time, his sister Heidi Lynn was also admitted to hospital in Nevis and we had to make a decision: whether to leave one sick child behind and go to another who was in a more critical condition.


We left Heidi Lynn to be supervised by her eldest sister, and travelled to visit Herald. On arriving at the hospital, we feared for his life. He couldn’t speak clearly and looked barely alive. Many persons lent support to the family during his stay in the Intensive Care Unit.


One day the doctor pulled me aside and asked me, “Why is your son still alive? He should have been a dead man!” I related my story about asking God for him and rededicating him (Herald) back to Him. God saw him through his illness and he came back to Nevis to regain his strength. He returned to St. Thomas and completed his degree in music. He was even invited to perform a recital at his Graduation Ceremony.


His friends in St. Thomas begged him to stay. They tried to convince him by outlining how successful he could become because of his extraordinary musical talent. He meekly declined these offers and returned to Nevis to live and serve his people.


He was employed at the Education Department where he worked feverishly to organize a well-structured music department. His request the week before he died to his brother, Daron, was to prepare an invoice for the acquisition of a PA system so that he could forward to the Ministry of Finance.


His desire was to have the music department supplied with all the necessary tools and equipment to advance this art form in Nevis. He was responsible for many ‘Schools in concert programs’ and was instrumental in organising the Palm Awards ceremonies founded by his cousin, Laughton Brandy, the then Minister responsible for Youth and Sports. Mr. Brandy was also responsible for founding the Boys Choir, a project Herald assisted him with. In his spare time, he entertained with his Friends Jazz Band and a number of solo artistes at various hotels and private wedding ceremonies.


Herald loved the Lord, his family, his people and his music. He suffered some illnesses but he always pushed himself to accomplish the tasks that were before him. When others had great sympathy for him and felt that he wasn’t going to be able to attend to an engagement because of his illness, he showed up and performed without complaint.

He was a family man, caring and affectionate. Above all, I give thanks for the life of a man I am so proud to be able to call my son: humble, self-sacrificing, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Herald, whose splendour, both internal and external, will never be extinguished from our minds.

He fought a good fight, he kept the faith and on Sunday, February 18th he fell asleep at his home at Pump Road after preparing a meal he wasn’t able to partake. May the Lord prepare a feast from the tree of life in paradise when the earth is made new.


MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE.