Feast for choral music fans
TOP LOCAL ARTISTS WILL PERFORM WITH AFRICA’S BEST AT NATIONAL FINALS Pretty Yende and Somizi are two of the stars of the show.
Choral music lovers are in for a heavenly experience at the Old Mutual National Choir Festival finals taking place on Saturday and Sunday at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena.
Performing at the festival is international opera sensation Pretty Yende and 22 talented choirs from five countries: South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
The guest presenter for the indigenous section on Sunday is flamboyant choreographer, actor, radio personality and Idols SA judge, Somizi Mhlongo.
Setting the scene will be three very dynamic masters of ceremony – radio personality Putco Mafani, Mongezi Boloshe, one of the leading officials in the choral fraternity, and radio personality Bulelani Koyo.
Pretty Yende’s musical genius will be followed by Nombuso Ndlandla, whose impressive solo performances include Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Vivaldi’s Gloria.
The winning choirs in the large category will take home R100 000, R90 000 and R80 000 for first, second and third place respectively, while the top three winning choirs in the standard category will walk away with R74 000, R64 000 and R54 000.
Each of the competing choirs has already been awarded an average of R21 000 during the elimination stages, with the National Lottery having sponsored an additional R10 000 to each of the regional winners. – Citizen reporter Prince Mshiyeni Choir (KwaZulu-Natal), Diamond City Chorus (Northern Cape), Simon Estes Alumni (Western Cape), Royal Swazi Spa Choir (Swaziland), African Sweet Melodies (Gauteng), Chitungwiza Harmony Singers (Zimbabwe), Gaborone Youth Singers (North West), Belcanto Cape), Joyful Harmonies (Western Cape), CUT Choir (Free State), UL Choristers (Limpopo), African Chorus (KwaZulu-Natal), Sound of the Nation (Gauteng), NWU Serenaders (North West), Eastern Cape Police Choir (Eastern Cape), North West University Choir (North West), Kopano Chorus (Gauteng), His Majesty Correctional Services Choir (Swaziland), Western Chorale (Western Cape), SA Singers (KwaZulu-Natal), Voices of the Nation (Gauteng). Singers UL Choristers (Limpopo), CUT Choir (Free State), Belcanto Singers (Eastern Cape), Royal Swazi (Swaziland), Prince Mshiyeni Choir (KwaZulu-Natal), Spa (Eastern Choir Chitungwiza Harmony Singers (Zimbabwe), Gaborone Youth Singers (North West), African Sweet Melodies (Gauteng), Diamond City Chorus (Northern Cape), Simon Estes Alumni (Western Cape), Joyful Harmonies (Western Cape), Kopano Chorus (Gauteng), African Chorus (KwaZulu-Natal), Voices of the Nation (Gauteng), SA Singers (KwaZulu-Natal), UWC Creative Arts Choir (Western Cape), Sound of the Nation (Gauteng), Western Chorale (Western Cape), His Majesty Correctional Services Choir (Swaziland), Eastern Cape Police Choir (Eastern Cape), NWU Serenaders (North West), North West University Choir (North West). Tickets are available at Computicket for R120. For more information see: http://dogreatthings.co.za/music/ national-choir-festival/