Namibia: Choral Treat This Weekend

Namibia: Choral Treat This Weekend

New Era (Windhoek)

11 April 2008
Posted to the web 11 April 2008

Windhoek

This weekend audiences will be in for another choral treat. The Nedbank Singers, directed by Ernst van Biljon, will give two concerts in the St Mary's Cathedral.

The concerts start at 20h00 and entrance is N$50 for adults and N$25 for learners and pensioners. Tickets are available at the door and beforehand at the Wernhil, Maerua and Katutura branches of Nedbank.

Guest choirs who will participate in the programme are the COTA Choir, directed by Fanie Dorfling and the Maranatha Ensemble directed by Patrick Klaaste.

The Nedbank Singers sing religious music ranging from "Ave verum by William Byrd (16th century to music from the Romantic era by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg and French composer Gabriel Fauré.

Madrigals were sung in the 15th and 16th century and were the "pop" music with which audiences were entertained. The Nedbank Singers chose two songs from that period - "Amor vittorioso" (love victorious) in Italian and "Tourdion" (a drinking song) in French. The latter with some Namibian flavour woven into the song.

To show off their lingual and stylistic versatility, the group sings international folk songs in four different languages. No programme will be complete without some local music. Not only will the group sing popular Namibian songs, but some of the African repertoire is from Kenya and Benin.

The COTA (College of The Arts) Youth Choir was formed in February 2005 with the appointment of Fanie Dorfling as conductor at the College of The Arts.

The choir members come from secondary schools in Windhoek. Currently the choir consists out of 40 members.

They leave on tour to South Africa on April 22, and will perform in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ladybrandt and Bloemfontein.

The repertoire of the choir consists of light and classical Western music, traditional African music and Namibian traditional music.

Some of the highlights in their programme are:

Only you by Clarke and Barret, The drunken sailor arranged by Robert Sund, the ever popular spiritual Ride the Chariot, Modimo reboka wean and a Zulu traditional song Hlohonolofatsa (Bless everyone in the name of the Lord.

The Maranatha Ensemble conducted by Patrick Klaaste is a part of the Maranatha Choir under the direction of Evie George.

They will make a "goodwill" contribution to the concert in a short programme of a varied nature.