GEORGE NEWS - George is proud to host the annual National Male Choir Festival on 28 September at Glenwood House School.
This premier event will feature seven choirs, including the George Male Choir, Bloemfontein Mannekoor, Take Note (Bloemfontein), Cenestra Male Choir (Gauteng), Remnant Men’s Chorale, and Arbitrio Mannekoor (Gqeberha).
The festival will also welcome the Travelling Voices Choir from Germany, making it a truly international event.
The Bloemfontein Men’s Choir (BMC)
The Bloemfontein Men’s Choir (BMC) is a Christian, non-profit organization consisting of 25 members, an accompanist, and a choir leader.
Ansphi van der Walt has led the BMC since its inception in May 2000.
The BMC has performed on various stages in numerous productions and has shared the stage with some of South Africa's most famous singers.
The choir has also toured throughout South Africa. Internationally, the BMC represented South Africa in Wales at the Llangollen International Music Festival and won a silver medal (second place) in the Men’s Choir category during this visit.
The choir’s mission is to offer opportunities to men from all cultures in Bloemfontein and surrounding areas to participate in spectacular choir programs.
The BMC aims to include everyone in the spirit of unity and strives to be positive ambassadors for Bloemfontein and South Africa wherever they perform.
The choir sees its voices and music as a talent given to them by God, serving as a medium and platform to spread messages of righteousness and love.
Cenestra Male Choir (Gauteng)
The Cenestra Male Choir was founded in 1992, following a tour of Ireland in 1988 by the conductor Themba Madlopha, along with Walter Kope and Pritchard Zitha. During this tour, they met members of the world-renowned CWMBACH Male Choir from Wales, who encouraged the trio to establish a male choir in South Africa, forging ties with CWMBACH.
The name Cenestra stands for Central East Rand, inspired by the geographic description of the then local district of TUATA, which covered the four townships of Daveyton, Kwa-Thema, Tsakane, and Wattville. Cenestra’s milestones are numerous, including local and international concerts in collaboration with acclaimed choirs and musicians.
They won the Gold Award in the Male category at the International Eisteddfod of South Africa, performed as a guest at the Three Tenors Concert (featuring Luciano Pavarotti) at the Union Buildings, sang at President Thabo Mbeki’s inauguration, and earned the Gold Award in the Male Category at the 10th International Choir Competition in Budapest, Hungary.
Cenestra is currently ranked 19th in the Musica Mundi Top 50 Male Choir World rankings.
Cenestra
Take Note (Bloemfontein)
Take Note was established as a platform for young men passionate about A Cappella music.
The group consists of 20 members, all residing in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and they primarily perform music arranged and composed by group members.
Since its establishment in 2016, Take Note has shared the stage with a variety of professional artists and has rapidly become a favorite. In 2017, they toured Europe and competed in the 10th International Music Festival in Bratislava, where they secured first place in the Popular Music category (95.1%) and the Folklore A Cappella category (96.5%).
What makes their performances memorable is the emotional impact on the audience.
"They may not remember what we sang, but they will remember how they felt while we were singing," says the group, which is directed by Stefan Buys.
Take Note
Travelling Voices (Germany)
The mixed choir "Travelling Voices" is not a traditionally established choir but is made up of project singers.
The choir's mission is to go on concert tours at irregular intervals, visiting different countries. For each tour, the choir comes together for a limited time.
The first trip took the choir to the Spanish island of Mallorca in 2006, which has been visited three times.
Other destinations have included a Mediterranean cruise in 2007 with concerts in Italy, Croatia, and Greece, as well as South Africa in 2009 and 2016, New York and Canada in 2011, and Rome in 2013.
This year marks the choir's third visit to South Africa.
Through its singing, the choir fosters musical exchange between different countries and cultures.
Music is a universal language that everyone understands. Travelling Voices aims to bring joy through their performances while connecting with choirs and people from other cultures by sharing and listening to music.
The Travelling Voices
Remnant Men's Chorale (Gqeberha)
The Remnant Men's Chorale is an all-male group founded in 1994 in Berlin, East London. The choir has a national presence with six regions: Cape Town, Gqeberha, Queenstown, East London, Mthatha, and KwaZulu-Natal. This year marks 30 years of their remarkable journey.
On 24 August, RMC will host a concert at The Feather Market Hall in Gqeberha.
The choir prides itself on rendering music that soothes the soul, brings hope, and spreads good news to society.
Remnant
Arbitrio Male Choir (Gqeberha)
The Arbitrio Male Choir was established in Port Elizabeth on 16 June 1977, and will celebrate its 47th anniversary in 2024. Known for its contemporary, gospel, and classical repertoire, the choir has entertained the greater Port Elizabeth area through various concerts. The choir has participated in several national male choir festivals, including the George National Male Choir Festival and the Bloemfontein National Choir Festival.
In 2017, the Arbitrio Male Choir hosted the National Male Choir Festival at the Feather Market Centre.
Over the decades, they have performed alongside well-known gospel and classical artists such as Carika Keusenkamp, Manuel Escorcio, Nick Taylor, Sonja Herholdt, and Dewald von Solms.
With members serving between 15 and 30 years, the choir was proudly awarded the Presidential Award by the Rotary Club of Algoa Bay for bringing joy through song.
The choir has been blessed with the support of dedicated choir leaders, conductors, accompanists, and musicians.
In early 2024, Elbe Coetzee joined the choir as conductor, bringing a new repertoire and marking the start of an exciting new season of music for the community.
Arbitrio
George Municipality supports the festival
The National Male Choir Festival is grateful for the support of its sponsors, including the George Municipality and Glenwood House School, which is sponsoring the venue. Mayor von Brandis will attend and open the festival.
George, located in the heart of the Garden Route, is known for its natural beauty, outdoor activities, and tourism offerings. It is a popular destination with pristine beaches, world-class golf courses, and rich cultural heritage. To plan your stay, visit www.visitgeorge.co.za.
Tickets can be booked at tickets.tixsa.co.za. For enquiries, contact Paul Hoffman via WhatsApp at 082 577 5302.
For more information, visit georgemalechoir.co.za.
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