Biography
The Wits Choir is unlike any choir you have ever experienced: vibrant, young, and colourful!
Membership is open to all, resulting in a choir drawn from diverse national and international cultures. We have members from as far afield as Kenya and the DRC. A live performance is a superb blend of melody, harmony, lyrics, gesture and dance that is a memorable experience for both audience and chorister.
Repertoire is of paramount importance to the Choir and the choice of songs depends on our aims for the year. Much of the repertoire for this year is traditional South African or African, with numbers like the ever–popular Sizongena La’phemzini, Kwa–Mashu and Die Trane die Rol; as well as the Swahili song, Malaïka; and U kane kameme from Namibia. Music from other countries has certainly not been neglected. The Choir has many African–American Spiritual numbers in their repertoire, and an array of music from all corners of the globe.
The Wits Choir has a large fan base. We have performed by invitation at many official functions, including all important Wits University ceremonies, graduations and inaugurations. Highlights for the members have included the opportunity to perform for former president Nelson Mandela, and at the opening of the Maropeng Visitors’ Centre at the Cradle of Humankind before President Thabo Mbeki and other dignitaries.
The Wits Choir has an extensive outreach programme for the advancement of choral music and conducting. Recent mini-tours to the Cape Platteland, Mpumalanga and to the Royal Bafokeng in Rustenburg have afforded the Wits Choir the opportunity to work with local choirs and conductors for the furthering of music education and to form meaningful partnerships. We also regularly hold choir festivals and workshops involving choristers from churches, schools and communities.
The Wits Choir has spread the magic of South African music and culture through tours to Namibia, Kenya, Argentina and their hugely successful tour to the Czech Republic at the end of 2006.
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