Mitchell House Choir excels in Greece

Members of the the Mitchell House Choir made the school proud when they finished third in the Folklore category of the Kalamata International Choir Competition and Festival recently held in Greece.
The group consisted of 33 Grade 6 to 11 learners and were accompanied by educators Amrian Terblanche, Martin van der Westhuizen and Bafokeng Mpeta.
The choir’s repertoire at the competition included ‘Ahuna ya Tswanang le Jesu’ in Sepedi, ‘Dubula’ in isiZulu, Pata-pata’ in Xhosa and ‘Avelekile ama sango’ in Sepedi and Terblanche said that in recognition of the choir’s colourful traditional attire, the audience started clapping even before the choristers started with their performance.
Terblanche proudly said that the two choirs that ended in the first and second places were both well-established adult choirs of international stature.
The group visited Athens, Argolis, Santorini and Rethymno on the first nine days of the tour and arrived in Kalamata on the tenth day for a four-day stay and participation in the competition. They visited places of interest which included the Acropolis and the Pantheon in Athens as well as the Cyclopean Walls and Royal Tombs in Argolis.
According to Terblanche, the choir aims to participate in an international competition every second year. “Two years ago the choir went to Italy and in 2016 we went to France,” he said and added that the tours are also a cultural experience for the learners.

Story: BARRY VILJOEN
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