National competition draws 23 school choirs to George

GEORGE NEWS - The city of George played proud host to the annual Southern Cape Sport Tours Cantamus national schools choir competition and festival this past weekend, when 23 choirs from as far as Durban, Tshwane, Johannesburg, Buffalo City and Cape Town arrived to battle it out for the position of best choir of the competition.

The event was presented at the Tramonto wedding venue from Thursday to Sunday, 10 to 13 August.

Competing choirs were housed at hotels from Wilderness to Mossel Bay. At the Thursday opening ceremony, a flag parade was held, followed by interviews of the student leaders about their choirs and a "big brag" rendition of one of their songs.

Friday morning saw them visiting the Garden Route's best tourist spots while sound checks were done, while the evening was reserved for a public "friendship concert" serving as a dress rehearsal for Saturday's adjudication concerts.

The participating choirs were Assegai Primary School (Durban), Brescia House Choir (Sandton), Claredon Girls' High School (East London), Collegiate Girls High School (Gqeberha), Curro Cantare Choir (Hermanus), Diamantveld HS (Kimberley), the Kimberley Children's Choir, George Randell HS (Gqeberha), HTS Louis Botha (Bloemfontein), Lawson Brown HS (Gqeberha), Michaelhouse Choir (Kwazulu-Natal Midlands), Randfontein HS (three choirs), St Mary's DSG (Durban), Uitenhage HS, University of Pretoria Onderstepoort Community Choir, Welgemoed Primary School (Cape Town), Welkom High School, Westering High School (Gqeberha), Willem Postma Primary School (Bloemfontein), Wierdapark Primary School (Tshwane) and Zwartkop HS (Centurion).

The Lawson Brown High School choir from Gqeberha at the Heads in Knysna.

The overall competition winners were the magnificent girls of Clarendon High who attained 90,65%, followed by Welgemoed Primary School in second place and St Mary's DSG Choir in third.

Jan-Erik Swart, director of the acclaimed South Cape Children's Choir, presented the event on behalf of Southern Cape Sport Tours and explained the importance of the event for the city of George: "This event is a prime example of cultural tourism where 1 200 choristers, their teachers and many accompanying parents invest in the infrastructure of our city as a tour destination.

"Apart from the superb experience choirs have in competing and hearing one another sing, many parents and teachers comment to me that they can't believe how clean, neat and beautiful George's streets and surroundings are, compared with where they come from. It is something we, as Georgians, can be proud of, and should appreciate much more."

The Collegiate Girls High choir from Gqeberha.