Pretoria soprano performs in honour of ‘British Schindler’
A Soshanguve-born soprano will perform at a major British festival in honour of a Holocaust hero.
Soshanguve-born soprano Caroline Modiba has been chosen to perform at a special concert celebrating the life of British humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton.
Winton is credited with organising the rescue of 669 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Second World War.
The rescue, known as the Czech ‘Kindertransport’, arranged for the safe passage and rehoming of the children, most Jewish, to Great Britain.
Modiba, who is based in the UK, is studying for her advanced postgraduate diploma in music at Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University.
Modiba will sing Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 by Hector Villa-Lobos.
The concert, ‘Sir Nicholas Winton – A Celebration’, will be on Friday 20 May, at St John’s Smith Square in London.
She will be joined by 24 cellists who are also from Birmingham Conservatoire and are collectively known as CelloSoundBirmingham.
“It is an honour to pay respect to Sir Nicholas Winton as he was a great man,” said Modiba.
All proceeds from the concert will be donated to Syrian children refugee charities, the refugee council and Theirworld.
Winton died last year, aged 106, on the anniversary of the departure of a train in 1939 that was carrying the largest number of children – 241.
It is estimated that around 6 000 descendants from the 669 children who were saved owe their lives to the ‘British Schindler’.
A number of them will pay tribute to Winton at the event, including famous American paediatric geneticist professor Renata Laxova.
The concert will feature readings from Hollywood actors Jason Isaacs and Rupert Graves – the latter portrayed Sir Nicholas in the 1999 drama All My Loved Ones.
Isaacs is most known for his performance as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films.
“Never has the word memorial been so apt. We’re remembering not only the selfless and noble actions of Nicholas Winton on 20 May, but his story urges us to remember that we can all always do something to fight injustice, however powerless we might feel. It’s going to be an inspiring night,” said Isaacs.
