Bravo! Foundation’s Christmas Classics a hit
An ensemble of 10 singers' harmonies of classic Christmas songs, had the audience singing along.
Founder of the Loveline Arts Foundation, soprano Loveline Madumo, led an ensemble of 10 singers at the Gereformeerde Kerk Alkantrant in Pretoria east in a charming and cheerful Christmas Classics programme.
The programme consisted of more than 20 songs, with lively piano accompaniment by Susan Swanepoel.
Madumo is also the director of the Loveline Arts Foundation, a vehicle to provide a performance platform to young people and professionals.
The ensemble consisted of Bongiwe Madlala, Ilze van Staden, Madumo, Veramarie Meyer, Jonathan Watkins, Mziyanda Zita, Linda Zitha, Thabang Senekal, Mlalo Leuba, Amogelang Lebethe with Swanepoel as accompanist.
The programme was a well-balanced compilation of seasonal favourites with a few surprises thrown in, like two Afrikaans songs, ‘“’n Kersliedjie” by PK de Villiers and “Somerkersfees” by Koos du Plessis.
“Joy to the World” by GF Handel and W Llewellyn is a favourite for many this season as it has pictures of happy families singing together and having fun. The ensemble started the programme with their rendition with perfect phrasing and voices blending beautifully.
Throughout the programme, the ensemble also sang songs like “Joyful Alleluia” by G. Young, a joyful rendition of “Jingle Bells”, and a jubilant “Halleluja Chorus” by GF Handel.
The illustrious voices of the ensemble really came into their own with the spiritual arrangements of “Go tell it on the mountains” by H Smith and “A Christmas Spiritual” by M. Smith and W.L. Reed. For the last song, Mdlala’s voice was a perfect balance to the harmonies of the ensemble.
Van Staden’s version of the pop song “The First of May” was an unusual choice for a Christmas song but she sang it with a sense of fitting Christmas melancholy.
Baritone Zitha gave his own special touch to the appealing Italian carol by Pietro A.Yon, “Gesu Bambino” (The infant Jesus), singing this lullaby authentically and sincerely that could transport any listener in spirit to the birth night.
The highlight of the concert was the ensemble’s and soprano Madumo’s version of the soft and gentle, but extremely difficult song to sing, “Oh Holy Night of A. Adam”. With Madumo sustaining the high notes and the ensemble perfectly harmonising with her, it gets 10 stars.
A fundraising moment was also held after the concert with Fortunato Muzzone handing over a R10 000 valued bottle of wine to the winner of the competition, a long-time supporter of the ensemble, Marie Helene Maguire.
– Click here to hear some of the songs on the programme.
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