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Ihlombe! South African Choral Festival Participants
 African Chord Melodies - Gugulethu, South Africa
The African Chord Melodies started at J.L. Zwane Centre by Mr. Bongani Magatyana the conductor. Mr. Magatyana had a plan of taking the youth off the streets and make sure that they display their talent and skills they possess and he came upnwith the idea of opening a new choir that can promote African music to the foreigners and Tourist and develop talent and skills that the youth has. The program began in 2007 and it took the effort of several people to assist in running the choir. Mr. Magatyana won the Old Mutual choir competition in 2002 conducting Sivuyile Adult Choir. And in 2003 he won the same competition conducting Peninsula Technikon. In 2003, he was also recruited by JL Zwane Centre/Church where he formed Siyaya African Mbaqanga. And come back to Choral 2007 and again won the Old Mutual competition conducting the Sivuyile Adult Choir and then decided to open his choir which is African Chord Melodies.
The project aims to promote African Choral music. This choir has an advantage of being based in Cape Town which is one of the country's most prominent tourist's attractions, and that being the case, this project also seeks to familiarize foreigners with South African traditions & customs through African music.
The African Chord Melodies are the base of the youth development in Gugulethu, Nyanga, Phillipi, Mandaley and Khayelitsha and also strives to improve people's live by ensuring that they are aware of how to survive and make a positive change in their community.
Cenestra Male Choir
CENESTRA MALE CHOIR strives for musical excellence and cultural development through being actively involved in musical endeavors nationally and internationally as well as promoting unity among the diverse cultural groups within the broader South African community.
The CENESTRA Male Choir was formed in 1992 following a tour of Ireland by the conductor, Themba Madlopha, Walter Kope and Pritchard Zitha in 1988. The Welsh motivated the trio to consider forming a male choir in South Africa which they named CENESTRA as an acronym for CENTRAL EAST RAND which covered the four township of Daveyton, Kwa-Thema, Tsakane and Wattville.
Since its inception CENESTRA Male Choir has performed in the Inauguration of President Thabo Mbeki in 1999 and 2004. They have performed in numerous competitions and received the Gold medal in 1997 in the Male category at the International Eisteddfod of South Africa as well as Gold at the 10th International Choir Competition in Budapest, Hungary in 2005. They are also the only African Male Choir to be featured in the Musica-Mundi world rankings as number 18 in the Top 50 Male choirs.
CENESTRA have worked and collaborated with South Africa's music legends such as Mzilikazi Khumalo, Sibongile Khumalo, Caiphus Semenya, Prince Lengoasa, Rebecca Malope, Ringo Madlingozi, Johnny Mekoa and Jonas Gwangwa.
In addition to performing the choir also seeks to help developing young talent in Ekurhuleni by community volunteering through mentoring of youth and also conducting workshops and training whilst supporting youth and church choirs within local communities.
The choir has recorded three albums, and over the next two years they will be traveling extensively nationally and internationally.
Chamber Choir of South Africa - East Rand, South Africa
Michael Dingaan and the Chamber Choir of South Africa are a highly respected and well known chorus that has an established reputation of choral excellence. They regularly perform at the Linder Auditorium as well as through out Johannesburg. They have a diverse program and perform with and without orchestral accompaniment. The small size of this ensemble of men and women allows them to create a perfectly blended sound.
Michael Dingaan has conducted choir and orchestral works such as 'Gloria' by Vivaldi, 'Requiem' by Mozart & Bach's 'Magnificat', and has conducted the opera, 'Trial by Jury' by Gilbert & Sullivan. In addition to these accomplishments Mr. Dingaan also offers extensive choral training to young, talented and unemployed people in the township of KwaThema.
The Drakensberg Boys' Choir - Winterton, South Africa
The Drakensberg Boys Choir School is situated in the Champagne Valley of the Central Drakensberg Mountains. In its 41 year history, the school has grown considerably in both its student body and its facilities. The school was officially established in 1967 by John Tungay. Today, the school is registered as a section 21 company and all the assets of the school are held by the Drakensberg Boys' Choir School Educational Trust.
Since its establishment, the school has seen many different conductors and produced a number of successful musicians in the boys that have passed through the school. Notable conductors include Botes Gresse, Christian (Bunny) Ashley-Botha, Rudolf de Beer and Juan Burgers. Some of the old boys that have become prominent musicians nationally and internationally include Deon van der Walt, Clint van der Linde, Jacques Imbrailo, Nicholas Nicolaides, the Bala Brothers, Rory Rootenberg and William Berger.
The school typically consists of 110 boys from grade 4 to 9 that have been selected through auditions held across the country. The boys have six academic periods, two music periods in the form of aural training and theory as well as two hours of choir rehearsal every day. The choir performs at on average 40 concerts a year; this includes the weekly Wednesday concerts held at the school.
The choir tours at least twice a year, both nationally and internationally. The countries visited on tour include Israel, the United States of America, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Budapest, Portugal, Spain, France, Taiwan, Poland, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Egypt. Notable tours of the Drakensberg Boys' Choir include an invitation in 1983 from Pope John Paul II to perform in St. Peter's Square, being the first South African cultural group to perform behind the Iron Curtain in 1985, and an invitation to perform at a congress of the American Choral Directors' Association in 2007.
In the past 4 years, the school has seen important developments in the form of the revamping of the office block as well as the construction of a new academic block and boarding establishment. From July 2008, Johann van der Sandt has been appointed Musical Director and conductor of the school.
Fezeka High School Choir - Gugulethu, South Africa
Fezeka Senior Secondary School located in Guguletu, a black township (pop. 330,000) on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa. The school is situated in a poor overcrowded area of shanties where crime and violence are common. Some of the children face many hardships and there is a high drop out rate because many children need to start work. Fezeka is the only black high school offering classes in Xhosa, Sotho and Tswana. As a result, the school is bursting at its seams and turns away over 300 students each year. Currently the school has 1,750 students with up to 45 students per class.There is a lack of adequately trained teachers. Even so there are many successes and one of them is Phumelele Tsewu who is a teacher at the school and also conductor of the choir. Through his and other efforts the choir has been able to visit the UK in 2008 and had great success. Not only did they sing for Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu whilst there but Archbishop Desmond Tutu described the African concerts as a rainbow choir for a rainbow nation, the Salisbury Journal, UK wrote: “On Friday evening we were privileged to hear the result of a great deal of hard work. The crowd was brought to its feet by a stunning performance at the very beginning of the program, when a memorable selection of African songs was sung with gusto by the talented Fezeka High School choir from the township of Gugulethu in South Africa... It was memorable not just for the richness and depth of their voices but that each and every one of them sounded and looked so happy. Phumelele Tsewu has for more than 12 years made it his mission to teach his 77 strong choir everything from Mozart to manners to African music to world music He and his choir have worked so hard that they have gone from one award to another and this year have won the prestigious 2009 South African High School Choral Eisteddfod. A superb achievement.
 Imilonji KaNtu Choral Society - Soweto, South Africa
Where does one start to describe this long established institution? We have come along way since 1982! We are proud to say that at its inception the Choral Society took a deliberate stance to contribute towards the fight against apartheid through Choral music. With a carefully selected repertoire as you will experience tonight, the range is wide and varied from traditional to contemporary African Classical items.
We have been fortunate as a group to be invited to several countries overseas and in Africa. Under the Music Directorship of George Mxadana we have been privileged to visit Austria, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Reunion Islands, France, Wales, United States of America, Switzerland, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. We have been true ambassadors for our beautiful country.
We have performed at world events including state visits and sporting events. Not forgetting the presidential inauguration of the world icon Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and his successor president Thabo Mbeki. We were also privileged to sing at the enthronement of Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
The members of the Choral Society are not professional singers but come from various backgrounds and professions. Only the Music Director has had formal training in music. This skill has been transferred to most of its membership with age groups ranging from mid 20's to early 70's.
We are looking forward to an exciting evening at the historical Regina Mundi Church and to share our music excellence with the best choirs in our country as well as those visiting. Let us raise Ihlombe as South Africans and sing to the best of our ability!
 Morgan State University Choir
The Morgan State University Choir has performed around the world to critical acclaim. Named “Best College Choir” in 2004 by Reader's Digest magazine, the Choir has performed with several major symphony orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra, to name a few. Dr. Eric Conway is the Director of the Morgan State University Choir. During his tenure, Dr. Conway has led the choir to many acclaimed performances, including a special performance at the service honoring Rosa Parks, the unassuming matriarch of the US civil rights movement, who became the first woman to lie in honor at the US Capitol Rotunda. In July 2006, the choir traveled to Prague, Czech Republic, for two concerts with maestro Paul Freeman and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. In 2008, the Morgan State University Choir performed at Carnegie Hall on two separate occasions; under the baton of Bobby McFerrin with the St. Lukes Orchestra, and under the baton of Marin Alsop with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. This past June, the choir performed in the country of Colombia, by invitation of the US Department of State. The Morgan State University Choir has shared its musical gifts on many grand stages all over the world – with numerous dignitaries and celebrated performers – making them cultural ambassadors for Morgan State University, the city of Baltimore, the state of Maryland and the United States.
 Mpumalanga Youth Choir
The choir currently consists of about 60 High School pupils drawn from the greater Mpumalanga region. The choir's repertoire consists of music from various styles and eras, Master and Emerging composers, as well as ethnic music. Part of the choir's mission is to maintain high standards regarding the choice of musical repertoire as well as the finishing touches. It also strives to afford scholars from all walks of life the opportunity to develop their talents and to experience the joy of music. In 1999 the choir participated in the Advent competition in Prague and won a first prize, as well as being chosen as the Best Youth Choir during the competition. In 2004 during a similar competition in Prague, the choir achieved a silver award in the category for Young Adult Choirs. With regular performances in and around Middelburg, the choir is often invited to perform at Choir Festivals. During the past 27 years the choir has also undertaken various National Tours.
 Pacific BoyChoir
This acclaimed ensemble is the touring group from a choir academy in Oakland, California. Founded in 2001, it has already been compared favorably with the Vienna Boys Choir in music education and performance skill. The academy was opened following the success of an original chorus (formed in 1998 with six boys). It now includes 140 singers aged between seven and 17. They invest a pure joy in their singing which is based on strong musicianship and unfaltering professional discipline. Critics have hailed their musical sophistication and the quality of the sound they produce. "The sheer sonic experience was chilling. The full, powerful sound - clear and in-tune - nearly brought tears to my eyes..." wrote William Quillin, San Francisco Classical Voice of their performance of Rachmaninoff's Vespers. The Pacific Boychoir has made a number of recordings, winning a Grammy Award for Best Classical Album in 2004 for its performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3 with the San Francisco Symphony. They have made numerous tours to Italy, France, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Hungary, New Zealand, Denmark, Germany, Austria and several around the US.
Soweto Gospel Choir – Soweto, South Africa
Since its first international performances in Australia in 2003, Soweto Gospel Choir has become a worldwide phenomenon performing sell-out concerts at the world's greatest concert halls. In 2008, Soweto Gospel Choir embarked on major tours to the UK, Australia, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands as well as its fourth tour of the USA.
Heralded as the most exciting group to emerge in world music in recent years, the two-time Grammy Award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, under the direction of Executive Producer / Director Beverly Bryer and Founding Musical Director David Mulovhedzi, will be performing at the opening concert of the new annual Ihlombe! South African Choral Festival, July 9, 2009 in their home city of Soweto at the Regina Mundi Catholic Church.
In 2007, Soweto Gospel Choir won its first Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album (for its second album ‘'Blessed') and won its second for the same category in the 2008 Grammy Awards (for its third album 'African Spirit'). Soweto Gospel Choir has also won the Best Gospel Choir Award at the 2005 American Gospel Music Awards, the 2003 Australian Helpmann Award for Best Contemporary Concert Presentation and 2009 South African Music Award in the category "Best Duo or Group". The choir was the first South African artist to perform at an Academy Awards ceremony, when they accompanied John Legend on stage at the Oscars in February this year.
Stellenbosch Madrigal Singers and Stellenbosch Konservatorium Vocal Ensemble - Stellenbosch, South Africa
Stellenbosch Madrigal Singers (SMS) is an a capella vocal group of 12 members, consisting of students and young adults, who has been performing since 2004. Our repertoire includes a variety of music styles, although we focus mainly on vocal Renaissance music, especially madrigals. Although most of the music is written for four voice parts, some of the compositions demand up to eight parts.
SMS regularly performs at church services, weddings and social functions and is in great demand in the Western Cape due to the pleasant atmosphere they add to these occasions, a fact that can be gladly confirmed by the audiences of Laingsburg, De Doorns, Swellendam, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Matroosberg.
The current singers are: Soprano: Celia Vos, Christine Bosman; Alto: Ilse Rootman, Ansia Kohrs, Annemieke Nel; Tenor: Petrus Coetzee, Arno Jones, Servaas van der Berg; Bass: Chris Spies, Pieter Rautenbach, Gideon du Rand
The Stellenbosch Konservatorium Vocal Ensemble consists of students from the singing- and choral conducting divisions under the guidance of Minette du Toit Pearce and Rudolf de Beer. As part of their education the students also performs in churches, concerts, and special events.
The aim of the ensemble class is to prepare students for careers in singing and choral conducting through as many as possible techniques, where singers will learn the finer skills of ensemble-singing.
Symphony Choir of Johannesburg - Johannesburg, South Africa
The Symphony Choir of Johannesburg was established in 1947 by Edgar Cree as the SABC Choral Society. Since 1980, the choir has grown and evolved under the leadership of Richard Cock, and has become the leading choir of its type in Gauteng. Its concerts are regularly broadcast nation-wide on SAFM.
The choir performed at the Inauguration of President Mandela, as part of a massed choir, and at the opening ceremonies of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The ensemble shared the stage with Pavarotti in 1996, with the Three Tenors in 1999 and sang with Pavorotti in April 2005 as part of his world farewell tour.
Many distinguished international conductors have led the Symphony Choir. Sir David Willcocks, one of the leading choral exponents in the world, has conducted the choir on two occasions: in Carl Orff's Carmina Burana and in Verdi's Requiem. The well-known British composer John Rutter visited South Africa a few years ago to direct the choir's performance of his Sanctus and Requiem. He returned in August, 2002 to conduct the choir when they sang his new work Feel the Spirit. On Good Friday four years ago the choir performed Bach's St. John's Passion conducted by Simon Preston.
Three years ago, the choir's 25th Anniversary with Richard Cock, the choir were joined by the Chanticleer Singers in Bach's magnificent St Matthew Passion, and they performed at the Grahamstown Festival where they sang Haydn's Nelson Mass, as well as Rutter's Feel the Spirit and Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance. More recently they performed David Fanshawe's African Sanctus introducing a third dimension to the piece by inviting Ballet Theatre Afrikan to perform with them, followed by a concert performance of G&S Mikado. In 2007 they were invited to Spain for two concerts. The choir is already planning for its 30th Anniversary concert series in 2010!
In addition to performing all of the major classical repertoire for large choirs, the Symphony Choir has made its participation in Songs of Praise, Christmas Concerts and the Last Night of the Proms an annual tradition.
 Yale Whiffenpoofs
Every year, fourteen senior men are selected to be in the Whiffenpoofs, the world's oldest and most famous a cappella group. Founded in 1909, the "Whiffs" began as a senior quintet that met for concerts at Mory's Temple Bar, the renowned Yale tavern and club. Today, the group has become one of Yale's most celebrated and hallowed traditions, carrying on almost a century of musical excellence and professional showmanship at Yale, across America, and around the world. The Whiffenpoofs maintain a performance schedule of over 200 concerts annually, in addition to recording an album and embarking on a 17-week world tour. The Whiffenpoofs are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports a children's literacy campaign and educates students about music and a cappella singing.
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