Boys' Choir comes to Soweto
Chandrea Gerber
19 March 2004
As part of the 10 years of democracy celebrations, the world-renowned Drakensberg Boys' Choir will be performing at Soweto's Regina Mundi Catholic Church, a site that played a pivotal role in the struggle for the country's hard-won freedom.
The choir makes its first Soweto appearance at Regina Mundi on 22 March as part of their "94/04: A Decade of Democracy" tour. The performance is a joint initiative between the choir and the Rand Afrikaans University Chorale.
"We thought it appropriate to bring a concert to Soweto aimed at an audience that under normal circumstances would not have the opportunity to see a concert by the Drakensberg Boys' Choir", said the choir's tours manager, Pieter Engelbrecht.
The concert programme is filled with variety - from classical greats such as Mozart and Bach to traditional African songs and gumboot
dancing. The repertoire will also incorporate pieces in English, Hebrew, Greek and Italian. Another element of the concert combines African and traditional European sounds.
The concert will highlight the shadow of the past and look at the beginning of democracy in 1994 and toward the next democratic decade in South Africa.
As part of this process, the song "Rejoice South Africa", composed by former choir member Michael Barrat and especially commissioned for this year's theme, will be included in the performance.
The concert starts at 3pm at the Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Rockville, Soweto, and tickets cost R30 at the door. For more information, contact Jeanine Paulsen on (011) 489-2269.
'SA's singing ambassadors'
"South Africa's singing ambassadors" have been invited to the 2004 Alliance World Festival of Singing in the Czech Republic and the American Choral Directors Association's National Convention in Los Angeles in
February 2005.
Last year, the choir took the US by storm with their "Rhythm of Life" tour, mesmerising audiences with their version of South Africa's unique and diverse music.
Asked about Americans' views on the choir, director of music Christian Ashley Botha said: "We were privileged on arriving in Pasadena to see that a choir of the calibre of the Pasadena Boys' Choir had advertised the Drakensberg Boys' Choir as the 'best boys' choir in the world', a reputation the boys are working hard to maintain, and a clear indication that the choir and South Africa are recognised on the international choral scene."
"What is most amazing is the number of South Africans living abroad who in some cases have travelled over 1 500 kilometres to see the choir perform", said conductor Rudolph de Beer.
Source: City of Johannesburg website
| 
