Glynis OHara : Massed Choir Festival
When Sally June Gain opened her throat and let out powerful, ineffably beautiful high notes in Verdis Sempre Libera from La Traviata, the audience went wild. Right in the middle of the aria. They were on their feet and cheering wildly by the end, so much so that she had to sing it again. She smiled so much it looked like she was going to cry.
Unquestionably the star of the Sowetan/ Caltex Massed Choir Festival at the Standard Bank Arena last Sunday, Gain gave immense pleasure and represented a goal to be striven for by aspirant soloists in a nation still overwhelmingly obsessed with the sound of the human voice lifted in song.
Our musical heritage is choral rather than instrumental and its no simple matter to explain why. Perhaps it had something to do with the semi-desert of the interior and the lack of large trees out of which to fashion instruments, or perhaps with the influence of the small instruments of the Khoisan. Mary Rrich, music academic and broadcaster, agrees, adding that hunter- gatherer societies wouldnt have been interested in carrying heavy instruments like marimbas.
Professor Mzilikazi Khumalo, choral conductor for the festival, says that in traditional society, music was an individual pursuit. Singers would look for instruments to accompany them as individuals thats why theyre almost all of the smaller type.
There are drums in some societies, but they were almost always played by a particular group, like sangomas. Most of our songs in the olden days were very short too, and didnt need extensive support. Theres a rich heritage of hundreds of compositions, he says, leaning either to traditional African arrangements, or Western Christian. But Im a little worried, he adds, because most of the younger people dont show as great an interest in choral music as they do in gospel and pop, which is also mostly in Western languages rather than black ones. Its even spread to rural areas. Three weeks ago I was at a conference in Nongoma and all the young choirs were singing American gospel. Rrich doesnt see gospel as a problem. Its strongly influenced by jazz but both forms are united by the joy of singing and by religious fervour. Most people love both.
The African/mission tradition includes dozens and dozens of composers. Highly rated contemporary ones include SBP Mnomiya whose Ihele (an African Gaudeamus) was sung by the massed choir on Sunday and B Chonco, MA Sibiya and Makhaya Mjana. Historically, the favourites are John Knox Bokwe, Enoch Sontonga, H Masiza, Benjamin Tyamzatshe, AA Kumalo, RP Caluza, CTD Marivate, JP Mohapeloa and MM Moerame.
There are hundreds and hundreds of songs in this tradition, says Khumalo, noting that the most popular is probably Vuka Debora, written by Bokwe in the late 19th century. Many people accept it as the first real composition by a black composer for choirs. Second comes Vukani Mawethu, written in about the 1930s by Masiza.
Third is Amathwasa composed by Mnomiya a few years ago has become very popular. Its a plea not to pull down the Amanzimtoti College of Education because it performed such a good service in training teachers. Amathwasa are sangomas in a trance, so its a metaphor for passing on knowledge.
Many people would probably include Izibongo zika Shaka (Praises of Shaka) in the top five, he said, but as it was composed by him, he was modest about it and the Mail & Guardian had to phone an independent source to confirm its popularity.
Without any prompting, Ludumo Magangane director of two choirs in KwaThema as well as an orchestra conductor and adjudicator in choir contests as far north as Malawi did indeed suggest Izibongo zika Shaka as well. Fifth, he said, could be Ingqwele, a recent piece by B Chonco, which roughly translates as champion and is really a praise piece for Nelson Mandela.
Whether choirs sing gospel or traditional, the love of group singing is in no serious danger judging by the ecstasy at the (traditional) festival last Sunday.
Not a contest, but a celebration of the form, there were 1 000 voices gathered together to make a joyful noise, with the support of the NSO.
The first half of the programme had soloists alternating with choral numbers, including three soloists selected through auditions Lionel Mkhwanazi, Bongani Vilakazi and Ntombifuthi Sidaki as well as Gain, Miranda Tini, Simphiwe Mcebi and Nhlanhla Cele. Intando Yakho, a traditional religious song incorporating call and response in a hymn, had the entire audience on their feet, singing and dancing along, as did Umahlalela (Layabout), a traditional, humorous song.
Talk about The Last Night of the Proms. With the right kind of publicity, this event could come to be seen as the genuinely South African answer to all that Elgar and Empire.