Choirs honour Mandela at Ihlombe! SA Fest

Some of the choral groups performing at the festival include Imbizo (Zimbabwe), Inkanyezi Zezulu (Zimbabwe), the African Youth Choir (SA), Amabhukudwana (SA), Mzomhle Youth Choir (SA), the South African Youth Choir, Atlanta Young Singers (US), the Children’s Chorus of Washington (US) and the Seattle Children’s Chorus (US).

The US choirs will perform 13 collaborative concerts with more than 15 African youth, church and community ensembles. The choirs will also exchange knowledge through shared workshops, side-by-side rehearsals and outreach projects across the country.

“The Ihlombe! Festival offers musicians and audiences the opportunity to reflect on Nelson Mandela’s noble ideals of freedom and unity through the performances and collaborations of choirs from South Africa and the US, and to appreciate and learn from the differences and similarities between their musical traditions,” Classical Movements president Neeta Helms told Music In Africa.

“Concertgoers will experience energetic and moving performances of both familiar and new repertoires by ensembles based in a range of musical traditions.”

Helms said the festival would feature commissions written especially for the festival by South African composers Sibusiso Njeza and Phelelani Mnomiya. "There will be two specially commissioned songs to be sung by the combined choirs at the 18 July concert at St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town,” she said.

Choral workshops in Soweto

Helms said the US choirs performing at the event would participate in a Soweto workshop conducted by music directors Gobingca Mxadana and Sidumo Nyamazele.

“The international choirs will receive an African choral workshop exploring the different elements of traditional African choral and cultural dances and rhythms. This is presented in Soweto by the Imilonji Kantu Choral Society,” she said.

“Additionally, the local and international choirs come together before each concert to share in a time of musical exchange to teach each other songs they will sing together as the finale of each concert. In addition to the above mentioned workshops, there will also be a workshop for the international choirs to work through the new commissions before the premier on 18 July.”

For more information about the event, contact Jeni Fletcher on 082 825 5718 or at jeni@networxpr.co.za.

Concert tickets can be bought via Quicket.