Mpumalanga Melting Pot Choral Festival workshop
A number of choral music ground-breaking events have been lined up as a build up to the National Competition in Ekurhuleni in October.
These will include the KZN Melting Pot Choral Festival on April 27 followed by Mpumalanga Melting Pot Choral Festival on
June 1. A choral music workshop for choirs in Mpumalanga was held on Saturday, April 5.
The workshops included, among others, choir’s preparation by choral music specialists on how to prepare for the Melting Pot Choral Festival.
Judges explained the adjudication process and adjudicators’ expectations.
“It is exciting to be back with this massive festival, the workshop was an eye-opener for a lot of choirs in Mpumalanga because they worked with top choral specialists and they learned a lot and to be competitive to match the standard of other professionals in the country,” said Ms Gcisa Mdlulwa, CEO of Melting Pot Arts Festival.
“‘Celebrating 20 years of our democracy through sound, that’ll melt your heart’ is the theme of the honoured in
style with choirs such as Durban Serenade, African Chorus, SA Chorus and Mayibuye IAfrica to mention a few.
Massive choral music festival that will be held in the
Durban City Hall on Freedom Day, April 27, it will feature crème de la crème of choral music in honour of one of
South Africa‘s greatest sons OR Tambo, himself a former school choir member at St. Peters.
He was first introduced to formal music at Embhobeni, which became a lifelong activity and a hobby. He was a
well renowned choral music composer.
OR Tambo will be honoured in style with choirs such as Durban Serenade, African Chorus, SA Chorus and
Mayibuye IAfrica. The sounds of joy chorale and last
year’s National Melting Pot Choral Music Festival inaugural winners, Clermont Community Choir in song, will melt your heart. Adding to the potpourri of song and dance will be the acclaimed KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra. Also in the blend to add further entertainment will be Zakes Bantwini, Zonke Dikana, Abanqobi and 1 Grandi Tenori.
The Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation endorse this festival. “Oliver Tambo loved classical and choral music, and was himself an accomplished choirmaster,” said Mavuso Msimang, CEO of the Foundation. Tambo recognised the critical role of culture in the struggle liberation and encouraged the formation of cultural groups in exile camps, where freedom fighters lived.
“Embracing the Melting Pot National Festival Tribute to OR Tambo was thus the most natural thing to do for the foundation.
“They will perform songs that were close to Tambo’s heart. There will be some unbelievable musical renditions, vocal and instrumental, by different artists. It’s an experience you have to see to fully appreciate,” said Msimang.
CEO of Melting Pot Arts Festival, Gcisa Mdlulwa said, ”It has been a long journey preparing this pot and now we are ready to melt the soul of our nation through the beautiful voices that will be at Durban City Hall. This is our way of remembering Tata OR Tambo for his love of music.”
The National Ekurhuleni Melting Pot Choral Festival Tribute to OR Tambo will be held in Carnival City in Ekurhuleni over two day musical bonanza this year on October 18 and 19.
Mpumalanga Melting Pot Festival ‘Tribute to OR Tambo will he held at the Witbank Civic Theatre on Sunday, June 1 starting at 09:00 till afternoon.
