Choir Games strike a chord

MESSAGES of congratulations streamed in for Wellington’s Huguenot High School, which received a golden diploma at the 10th World Choir Games in the folklore acapella category.

The songbirds also received a silver diploma in the mixed choirs category at the event in Pretoria.

Huguenot High School has a mixed choir, consisting of 80 members, and conductor Johan Enslin accompanied the choir to the World Choirs competition where 16 000 singers, in 300 amateur choirs from 60 countries, are participating.

Huguenot High School regularly performs at the ATKV Applous competition, which is the oldest national school choir competition in South Africa.

The Games have two types of competition, in a total of 27 categories: the Open Competition rounds in which any choir can compete, and the Champions Competition for those choirs with more experience, especially in competitions.

Tomorrow sees the start of the second half of the 10th World Choir Games, with new choirs arriving in Pretoria for the event.

These include the Mountain Top Chorale from Nigeria and the Kammerchor Wernigerode from Germany, as well as new singers like the Mpumalanga Mass Choir. Tomorrow’s events are: Mixed Youth Choirs at the Abernethy Hall (Pretoria Boys High School)

Open Competition from 2pm and Champions Competition from 7.30pm

Mixed Youth Choirs at the Aula (University of Pretoria)

Category: Folklore with accompaniment

Open competition from 11am and 3pm

Mixed Chamber Choirs at the Musaion (University of Pretoria)

Open Competition from 11am and Champions Competition from 7.30pm

Musica Contemporanea at the Opera, State Theatre

Open Competition from 11am

Gospel at 11am and Jazz from 11.45am

Champions Competition Jazz from 3.30pm and Gospel from 8pm

Musica Sacra a cappella at St Alban’s Cathedral

Open Competition from 10.30am and Champions Competition from 2pm and 7.30pm

Young Children’s Choirs at ZK Matthews Great Hall (Unisa)

Open Competition from 10.30am and 3pm

Young male choirs from 8pm, with Champions Competition from 9pm

To attend any of these events, purchase a day pass for R200 at the Choir Village or one of the venues.

This entitles you to move between events on the day – although no access is allowed to venues during a choir’s performance.