For ten years, US-based cultural organization Classical Movements, has held the annual Ihlombe! Festival in South Africa. This year, the series of concerts and gathering of five choirs of 250 voices from the USA and 23 choirs with 1 200 voices from Southern Africa, will honour Nelson Mandela’s centenary, and will feature new works composed by celebrated South African composers who have woven the poignant words of the great leader into the songs that will be performed.
The concerts will take place from 1-20 July 2018 across the country with the Port Elizabeth concert scheduled for Friday 20 July at the PE West NG Kerk from 19h00.
Says Classical Movements President, Neeta Helms, “For 25 years, Classical Movements has been bringing the world’s great orchestras and choirs to over 145 countries. We currently produce around 60 tours every year – that’s some 200 concerts every season. South Africa has long been one of our favourite destinations and because our intent is to bring cultural exchange and harmony through the music and through the meeting of musicians and exchange of music, we find this a moving and rewarding trip every time.”
Multiple choirs will unite in song
The Ihlombe! Festival’s Voices of Hope, Freedom and Unity tour unites choirs from Baltimore, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington and Atlanta with local choirs from Eersterivier, Khayelitsha and Bonteheuwel in Cape Town, Soweto, Soshanguve and Diepkloof in Gauteng, among others. Two choirs from Zimbabwe will also join the tour as they move through the Western, Southern and Eastern Cape as well as Gauteng Provinces and perform in concerts in Soweto, Johannesburg, Soshanguve, Cape Town (Bonteheuwel, Kenmere, Kayalitsha) as well as George and Port Elizabeth.
13 collaborative concerts with 23 African youth, church and community ensembles, will exchange cultures through shared workshops, side-by-side rehearsals and outreach projects across the country.
High points include a performance at the Regina Mundi church in Soweto, a site steeped in protest history and St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, another church deeply involved in the liberation struggle, where the choirs will perform on 18 July, to mark the birth date of Nelson Mandela. A visit to Mandela’s own home province, the Eastern Cape, seems a fitting date on this itinerary dedicated to the icon.
Compositions commissioned to pay tribute to Mandela
Decorated University of KwaZulu-Natal professor Phelelani Mnomiya, has composed a powerful setting of Madiba’s famous It’s In Your Hands Now speech—delivered on his 90th birthday during the 46664 AIDS charity concert at London’s Hyde Park
Penning his own text for the second Ihlombe! mass choir commission, award-winning University of the Western Cape professor Sibusiso Njeza’s Uthando Nomculo (“Love and Music”) piece urges us all, in his words, “to love more, to see beyond the colour of one’s skin, religion and sexuality.”
2018 IHLOMBE! PARTICIPANTS
South African Choirs will include:
African Youth Choir; Bulelani Khala – Diepkloof
Amabhukudwana; Junior Ngwenya – Johannesburg
Amici De Lumine Choir; Michaelangelo Cloete – Mowbray
Amy Biehl Choir – Gugulethu
Bongweni Male Choir; Lwando Thyuthu – Khayelitsha
East Cape Youth Choir; Petrus Meyer – Port Elizabeth
Eersterivier-South Uniting Reform Youth Choir; Mr Ellicson Dourie – Eersterivier
Fezeka High School Choir; Monde Sibiya – Guglethu
iGugu le Kapa Chamber Choir; Phumelele Tsewu – Gugulethu
Imilonji KaNtu Choral Society; Gobingca George Mxadana (OIS) – Soweto
Kensington Chorale Girls Choir; Lizl Gaffley – Kenmere
Kenmere Primary Junior and School Choirs; Lizl Gaffley – Kenmere
Mkhuseli Young Adult Choir; LwandoThyuthu – Khayelitsha
Peart Memorial Songsters; ; Nomthandazo Mkhize Solomon – Jabavu
Pretoria Serenaders Male Voices – Pretoria
South African Youth Choir; Phil Robinson – Cape Town
South Cape Children’s Choir; Jan-Erik Swart – George
Statistics South Africa Choir; Evah Mahlaela – Pretoria
St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Church Choir; Evah Mahlaela – Soshanguve
Vivacious Sound; Nomthandazo Mkhize Solomon – Jabavu
International Choirs will include:
Atlanta Young Singers; Paige F. Mathis – Atlanta, USA
Children’s Chorus of Washington; Margaret Nomura Clark – Washington D.C., USA
Imbizo; Mandla Khumalo – Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Inkanyezi Zezulu; Philani Moyo – Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Mt. San Antonio College Chamber Singers; Bruce Rogers – Los Angeles, USA
Seattle Children’s Chorus; John Hendrix & Kris Mason – Seattle, USA
Singing Sensations Youth Choir; Dr. Holley Hood-Mincey – Baltimore, USA
2018 IHLOMBE! SOUTH AFRICAN CHORAL FESTIVAL CONCERTS
SAT, JULY 7: 13h00
Salvation Peart Memorial Corps
883B Ndala Street, White City, Jabavu, Soweto
Children’s Chorus of Washington; Margaret Nomura Clark – Washington, D.C.
Peart Memorial Songsters; Nomthandazo Mkhize Solomon – Jabavu
Vivacious Sound; Nomthandazo Mkhize Solomon – Jabavu
Lucky Draws of R500, R250, R100!
TICKETS: R50
For more information: Nomthandazo Mkhize – 083 540 1702; nomtimki@yahoo.com
SUN, JULY 8: 13h00
St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Church
1916 Block F, Soshanguve
Children’s Chorus of Washington; Margaret Nomura Clark – Washington, D.C.
Pretoria Serenaders Male Voices – Pretoria
St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Church Choir; Evah Mahlaela – Soshanguve
Statistics South Africa Choir; Evah Mahlaela – Pretoria
Lucky Draws of R500, R250, R100!
TICKETS: R20
For more information: Evah Mahlaela – 081 805 0221; evahnkele@gmail.com
FRI, JULY 13: 19h00
Regina Mundi RC Church
1149 Mkhize St, Moroka, Soweto
African Youth Choir; Bulelani Khala – Diepkloof
Atlanta Young Singers; Paige F. Mathis – Atlanta, Georgia
Imilonji KaNtu Choral Society; George Mxadana (OIS) – Soweto
Seattle Children’s Chorus; John Hendrix & Kris Mason – Seattle, USA
Singing Sensations Youth Choir; Dr. Holley Hood-Mincey – Baltimore, Maryland
Lucky Draws of R500, R250, R100!
TICKETS: R25
For more information: Neo Motswagae – 082 968 7344; neom@uj.ac.za or Thami Nkomo – 082 762 3926; thaminkomo24@gmail.com
SAT, JULY 14: 18h00
Hillbrow Theatre
30 Edith Cavell St, Johannesburg
Amabhukudwana; Junior Ngwenya – Johannesburg
Atlanta Young Singers; Paige F. Mathis – Atlanta, Georgia
Imbizo; Mandla Khumalo – Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Izinkanyezi Zezulu; Philani Moyo – Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Seattle Children’s Chorus; John Hendrix & Kris Mason – Seattle, USA
Singing Sensations Youth Choir; Dr. Holley Hood-Mincey – Baltimore, Maryland
Lucky Draws of R500, R250, R100!
TICKETS: R40 & R20 for pensioners and students
For more information: Mandla Khumalo – 072 733 9986; mandlakm1@gmail.com
TUES, JULY 17: 18h30
Church of the Resurrection
24 David Profit St, Bonteheuwel
Atlanta Young Singers; Paige F. Mathis – Atlanta, Georgia
Church of the Resurrection Anglican Church Choir; Roger Horne – Bonteheuwel
Eersterivier-South Uniting Reform Youth Choir; Ellicson Dourie – Eersterivier
Fezeka High School Choir; Monde Sibiya-Gugulethu
Mt. San Antonio College Choir; Bruce Rogers – Los Angeles, California
Lucky Draws of R500, R250, R100!
FREE ENTRANCE!
For more information:
Roger Horne – 071 900 8402; rogerhorne936@gmail.com
TUES, JULY 17: 18h30
Bongweni Church Hall
Old Apostolic Church, Khayelitsha
Mkhuseli Young Adult Choir; LwandoThyuthu – Khayelitsha
Bongweni Male Choir; Lwando Thyuthu – Khayelitsha
Seattle Children’s Chorus; John Hendrix & Kris Mason – Seattle, USA
Singing Sensations Youth Choir; Dr. Holley Hood-Mincey – Baltimore, Maryland
Lucky Draws of R500, R250, R100!
FREE ENTRANCE!
For more information:
Bongani Magatyana – 072 392 4120; bongani.magatyana@gmail.com
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 19h00
St. George’s Cathedral | 5 Wale St, Cape Town
“Mandela at 100: Voices of Hope, Freedom & Unity”
Atlanta Young Singers; Paige F. Mathis – Atlanta, GA
iGugu le Kapa Chamber Choir; Phumelele Tsewu – Gugulethu
Kensington Chorale Girls Choir; Lizl Gaffley – Kenmere
Mt. San Antonio College Choir; Bruce Rogers – Los Angeles, CA
Seattle Children’s Chorus; John Hendrix & Kris Mason – Seattle, USA
Singing Sensations Youth Choir; Dr. Holley Hood-Mincey – Baltimore, MD
South African Youth Choir; Phil Robinson – Cape Town
TICKETS: R60 & R30 pensioners and students via quicket.co.za
THURS, JULY 19: 19h00
St. Mark’s Cathedral
116 York St, George
Atlanta Young Singers; Paige F. Mathis – Atlanta, GA
South Cape Children’s Choir; Jan-Erik Swart – George
Lucky Draws of R500, R250, R100!
TICKETS: R60 & R30 pensioners and students
For more information:
Mimi Haasbroek – 082 585 0632; mimihaasbroeklm@gmail.com
THURS, JULY 19
Desmond Mpilo Tutu Secondary School
Mbekweni, Paarl
Seattle Children’s Chorus; John Hendrix & Kris Mason – Seattle, USA
Concert for students and faculty
FRI, JULY 20: 19h00
P.E. West N.G. Kerk
57 Fifth Avenue, Newton Park, Port Elizabeth
Atlanta Young Singers; Paige F. Mathis – Atlanta, Georgia
East Cape Youth Choir, Petrus Meyer – Port Elizabeth
Lucky Draws of R500, R250, R100!
TICKETS: R50
Alan Straton
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