Drakies delight Port Alfred audience
JON HOUZET
THE Drakensberg Boys Choir enthralled the audience with their stunning vocal arrangements and intricate harmonies when they performed at Port Alfred High School last week.
The PAHS hall was filled to capacity for the concert, which was a fundraiser for the school organised by the Port Alfred Rotary Club. The proceeds will go towards upgrading the school's computer lab.
The choir of about 60 boys set the tone with a spectacular rendition of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus – epic, soaring music that lifts one's spirit.
| IN THE LIMELIGHT: A 60-strong Drakensberg Boys Choir thrilled a capacity crowd at Port Alfred High School hall last week Picture: JON HOUZET |
The diverse group of boys were adept at singing in various languages, including Xhosa, Zulu, Swedish, German and Italian. They delight and entertain not only with their singing, but with their expressive body movements.
Young soloist Stephane Marais has a very pleasing voice and was as comfortable leading Come, Now is the Time to Worship as he was singing Sean Kingston's recent pop song, Beautiful Girls.
Other stand-out songs in the sacred section were Mendelssohn's He Watching Over Israel, the Richard Rogers classic, You'll Never Walk Alone, Mundi Renovatio by Gyorgy Orban, and a Latvian song about a blacksmith toiling in heaven, the sparks from his work falling in the river below.
Director of music Johann van der Sandt gave a brief introduction to each song.
After a brief interval the second half of the concert started with the boys spread around the hall and down the aisles, singing I Denna Ljuva, a Swedish folk hymn about summer.
A short Japanese folk song about a hunt, Tousaka Mimasaka, was followed by a fun, grooving Haitian song about coffee, Peze Kafe.
Among the South African compositions they performed was Skoroskoro, a fun song about the development of transport, Hiep Hiep Hoera and Siyayivuma Lengoma.
Marais was also superb on lead vocals for Adele's Someone Like You.
The Drakensberg Boys Choir is internationally renowned and has toured in numerous countries. They were the first South African cultural group to perform behind the Iron Curtain in 1985, and were also invited by Pope John Paul II to perform in St Peter's Square in 1983.
Through its 45-year history the school has had many notable conductors and produced a number of successful musicians.
The choir at last week's concert represented more than half of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School. The other half of the school was touring in Gauteng.
Rotary sold 400 tickets for the concert and raised R20 000 for PAHS.
"Thank you to the community for all the tremendous support we've had,” said Rotary president Colin Maclachlan.
