Cultural community to stand Vigil during public viewing of Miss Lou’s body

Several persons from the cultural community will stand in vigil during the public viewing of the body of late cultural icon, the Hon. Louise Bennett Coverley (Miss Lou) at the National Arena on Monday, August 7 and Tuesday, August 8.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Linval Bailey, explained to JIS News that during the viewing of the body between the hours of 10:00 an and 3:00 pm each day, “four policemen in ceremonial dress will be at the four corners of the casket and there will be intervals when two persons from the cultural community will be interspersed with the police vigil party”.
“Therefore, at all times, there will four persons at the casket. There will be times when there are two policemen and two persons from the cultural community,” he elaborated.
The persons expected to stand in vigil are: Sydney Bartley, Director of Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture; Brian Heap and Carolyn Allen from the Phillip Sherlock Centre for the Creative and Performing Arts; Lalita Davis-Mattis, Lloyd Wright and June Bolton from the National Heritage Trust; and Tracey Commock, Dr. Jonathan Greenland, Kerry-Ann Palmer and Bernard Jankee from the Institute of Jamaica.
Other persons from the Edna Manley College, Little Theatre Movement, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, Jamaica Information Service, and Creative Production and Training Centre, are to be confirmed. During the viewing of the body at the National Arena, the general public will also get the opportunity to pay tribute to the First Lady of Culture by signing the condolence book.
The funeral service for Miss Lou will be held at the Coke Methodist Church at East Parade downtown Kingston on August 9 at 2:00 pm, with interment to follow at National Heroes Park.
Miss Lou passed away on July 26 at the Scarborough Grace Hospital in Toronto, Canada after collapsing at home early in the morning. She was 86 years old.
She is Jamaica’s premier folklorist, poet, entertainer and comedienne and was famous for her radio shows, which included ‘Laugh with Louise’, ‘Miss Lou’s Views’ and ‘The Lou and Ranny Show’ and ‘Ring Ding’.