By Nkosenhle Sibisi
Kearsney College Choir received a hero’s welcome when they returned home after their successful European tour where they won the Male Choirs’ category of the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna, Austria recently.
The 53-member choir went on their highly anticipated international tour after a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic did not stop them from shining as they spent more time rehearsing and performed locally before departing for Austria and Czech Republic in Europe.
The Kearsney College Choir boasts a long list of accolades, including 15 Gold medals and seven Silver medals at the World Choir Games (the Olympics for Choirs) between 2000 and 2018. The choir is also actively involved in community work and raising funds awareness for charity organisations, such as the sunflower Fund, the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, the Beth Shalom Home for the elderly and the Rotary Club of Kloof.
Kearsney College Marketing Manager, Rob Carpenter said that the boys gave it their all and their synchronisation was flawless, earning them a rating of ‘Outstanding Success.’
“Each item on the programme was met with thunderous applause and the final performance received a three-minute standing ovation by the judging panel and audience. The crowd had to be quietened to permit the judges to comment,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter also said that the acclaimed choir has become synonymous with vibrant, energetic performances and slick professional productions, adding that their signature blend of classical, pop and indigenous music has built up a large international following of appreciative supporters.
“The varied repertoire showcased their versatility with numbers such as El Hombre Armado (medieval melody), Trinklied, Awakening the Ancestors, Khoydt Zaychyk (Ukrainian lullaby), Sucker (Jonas Brothers) and Sab’ Inganono (Afraid of the Cannons). Kearsney staff accompanying the choir expressed their pride in the boys’ performance and delight with the audience’s response to the highly energetic performance style,” added Carpenter.
Kearney College Headmaster, Elwyn van den Aardweg thanked the Kearsney community for the support, and said that the choir was fortunate to have toured to Europe after an absence from international exposure.
“The resilience of the boys and staff in immediately returning after this absence to a world-class level of delivery is to be celebrated. We are overjoyed with their exceptional performances on global stages in claiming top spot,” he said.
Speaking to the Westville Weekly Gazette on what sets the choir apart from the rest, Director of music and conductor, Bernard Kruger said: “The skills developed in a choir; team work, self-discipline, tenacity sets them apart. Co-ordination, linguistic skills and abstract thought give the boys a huge advantage as they tackle the challenges and professional life after school. We are incredibly proud of what the boys achieved on this trip.”
Head of choir, Kudzai Kamwendo and Head of Orchestra and Musical Leader of the choir, Benjamin Burton jointly said that the tour was the most phenomenal experience for which they are enormously grateful and delighted to have returned home triumphant.
“Being a multi-faceted and multi-cultural entity within our school, the choir and orchestra are important ambassadors for Kearsney as well as for the Zulu Kingdom and South Africa. Our commitment to perform and promote the indigenous music of our country and the rest of the continent is an indication of our passion and pride for our African heritage,” said they said.
