Choir takes up social media challenge

GEORGE NEWS - Let it not be said that the South Cape Children's Choir (SCCC), one of South Africa's foremost amateur choirs, is scared of challenges.

It has taken up a social media challenge extended by the Drakensberg Boys Choir, to sing their own version of the much-loved South African ethnic working song, Shosholoza.

The artistic director of the choir, Jan-Erik Swart, said after entering the second year of Covid-19 restrictions, during which South African regional and school choirs have not been allowed to rehearse or perform, the SCCC has decided to accept the challenge.

Hartland TV's Jacques van der Merwe will spearhead the filming and production of the SCCC's #Shosholoza Challenge at various picturesque tourist locations in the George area, including the Kaaimans River railway bridge and the George Railway Museum, to accurately reflect the lyrics of the famous song that tells the story of a steam train (stimela) winding through high mountains (kule zontaba), bringing workers from rural areas to cities to work on the mines.

The first sound recordings will be made on Friday 7 May and the video recordings two weeks later. Swart said that 45 children will be involved.

Swart is currently undertaking his doctoral research dissertation in choral music and specially composed a unique arrangement of the song to be used for the production. "A suitable arrangement for children's voices had to be made because the SCCC cannot replicate the deep, rich, tenor and bass sounds of the Drakies," said Swart.

The South Cape Children's Choir performing, led by the artistic director of the choir, Jan-Erik Swart.

"The challenge for me was to come up with a completely different harmonisation and arrangement that incorporates the traditional rhythmic and choral style of the song, but also showcases the eight-to-twelve-part harmonies that represent the SCCC's unique choral sound. This is not easy to do with such a well-known piece as Shosholoza, but after revisiting the original Ipi N'tombi version, I decided to insert some catchy lesser-known sections, and even "tease" the Drakies' version by superimposing our own original version over theirs at a certain point."

The SCCC has only three weeks to prepare for filming, while rehearsing various choreographic movements, gumboot dancing and mastering various authentic ethnic drums, rattles, shakers and djembes. The #Shosholoza Challenge is the first of several recordings of the SCCC's "2021 Reboot", following 13 months of frustrating silence. Recorded songs will be professionally distributed on several prominent social media platforms and media websites while they ready themselves to once again present live concerts when conditions are safe to do so.

Sean Snyman, mayoral committee member for Community Services of the George City Council, said they support the initiative. The SCCC is an opportunity for young people to develop their talent. "The challenge with the Drakenberg Boys choir is an golden opportunity to put George on the map."

History of the SCCC
The SCCC was founded by a past principal of Outeniqua Primary, Andries van Schalkwyk, in 1997, and comprises 60 auditioned school choir and talented homeschooled singers between the ages of 9 and 16, from Mossel Bay, Hartenbos, George, Ladismith and Knysna. They rehearse once a week, learning an annual repertoire of choral works of an international standard.

The SCCC is currently ranked 214th out of the 1 000 best choirs (children, youth, adult and university) in the world by the International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM) and is receiving long-awaited cultural accreditation from the National Choral Olympic Committee as a cultural equivalent of SWD colours in sport.

Since its formation, the choir has undertaken seven concert tours of Europe; won the World Choir Games (open category) in Riga, Latvia; won the ATKV Animato national choir competition several times; was awarded 1st prize cum laude at the European Music Festival for Young People (Pelt, Belgium), and was awarded the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival's Kanna Trophy for best music production with Chris Chameleon.

The South Cape Children’s Choir