GEORGE NEWS - A small audience listened to our own award-winning South Cape Children's Choir, conducted by Jan-Erik Swart, and the Atlanta Young Singers, conducted by Paige Mathis and Greg Hucks, at St Mark's Cathedral in George on Thursday 19 July. Both choirs' performances were inspiring.
This was part of the Ihlombe! South African Choral Festival started ten years ago by Classical Movements Inc. to combine youthful choirs from America and Africa in a celebration of peace and harmony through music, showcasing the different cultures of both continents. The fourteen choirs that took part in the festival this year have been touring our country, performing with local choirs and warming the hearts of listeners with their sheer enthusiasm and love of music.
The programme opened with a close harmony arrangement of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, beautifully sung by the SCCC, followed by an American Christmas carol with complicated rhythms and tricky accompaniment.
The next item was by Daleen Britz, based on a Khoisan story depicting the little creatures preparing for the first rain on a dry earth. One could hear each welcome raindrop in this work. The choir ended with a historical song about the sinking of the SS Mendi with a very sombre drum accompaniment.
The Atlanta Young Singers hail from Georgia. They opened their programme with Sing My Child by Sarah Quartel and impressed with beautiful dynamic control and quality of tone.
Equally impressive was the male section of the choir conducted by Greg Hucks, singing the popular African American spiritual Get on Board Li'l Children and Make Them Hear You with clear diction and controlled rhythms.
Andrea Clearfield spent many years in Tibet and collected over 100 examples of their songs.
The choir sang two of those, with soloists and gentle harmonies that were hauntingly beautiful.This choir makes great use of rhythmical clapping accompaniment and the children's game song Juba, as well as Every Little Once in a While, were highlights. The evening ended with the combined choirs singing a farewell song.
The absence of any of our high school choirs in the audience was very disappointing as they could only have benefitted from hearing and experiencing the immense joy all these singers get from singing together and making friends through music.
Article: Sue Rijsdijk
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