Voice of unity soars on
Country’s first multi-racial varsity choir going strong and celebrating 25th anniversary
THIS year marks the 25th anniversary of South Africa’s first multi-racial university choir, formed at the very start of this country’s democracy, at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth.
At the request of the university’s arts and culture department, conductor Junita Lamprecht-van Dijk started the choir in 1994 – and continues to lead it today.
“In those early days, we experienced amazing social and musical challenges because we were so far removed from one another. But it was a wonderful opportunity to introduce different music cultures to each other, and to get to know each other,” she said. “In a way, our choir has been a successful microcosm of South Africa... I actually wrote my master’s thesis on the choir, exploring this theme.”
As society became more integrated, those gaps between people began to close. “But in a way, we’ve gone full circle, and we’re experiencing similar challenges (to those first faced) now, but we are managing them.”
Her main aim for the choir had always been to empower its members, enabling the talented to shine. “We have a young man in the choir at the moment, Sivuyile Mazizi, who is composing and arranging his own works for the choir .... Another very creative choir member, Siba Ngewu, is responsible for the choreography.”
Many of the choir members have gone on to achieve further success – one of the most notable being Sidumo
Nyamezele. He was the choir’s traditional music leader from 1996 to 2002 and studied conducting under Lamprecht-van Dijk, before going on to teach at St John’s College. “When the World Youth Choir toured South Africa, he was responsible for teaching them African music, which was a very great honour.” Nyamazele conducts the acclaimed Mzanzi youth choir in Joburg.
The Nelson Mandela University choir’s mix of traditional African, classical, Western and Latin American songs have made them a favourite on world stages. “I think the success of the choir can in a huge way be attributed to the dedication and enthusiasm of the singers to perform a diverse repertoire that makes an impact on those who hear it,” said Lamprecht-van Dijk.