The festival saw continentally acclaimed choirs, accompanied by the perfectly coordinated timbre of the 65 -iece KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, belt out their best tunes in efforts to win the big prize of a half a million Rand.
This year’s top prize, however, was split in two to cater for different genres and R250 000, for the Best African rendition, went to Voices of the Nation, from Tshwane.
The other R250 000 went to Gauteng Choristers, in the Best Western rendition category.
African Chorus, from KwaZulu-Natal, walked away with a sum of R100 000 in the Isitibili category, and the best conductors, Ntombovuyo Cekiso of the Transnet Port Terminals Choir, and Sidwell Mhlongo of the SA Singers, were rewarded with R10 000 each.
Each of the choirs that participated in this year’s edition of the choral festival received a participation fee of R50 000, and all conductors were awarded with gold medals for their extraordinary work.
Furthermore, this year’s instalment of the choral festival was presented with a twist.
Guests who bought tickets could enter a competition to win a brand new car, by texting their ticket numbers.
Luxolo Nongqawuza, from the Eastern Cape, a supporter of the Transnet Port Terminals Choir, was the lucky winner who could not contain his excitement when the Ekurhuleni mayor, Clr Mondli Gungubele, handed him the keys to his car.
