During the June/July holiday, while most students where relaxing after an exciting first term, two of the North-West University’s ensemble- and choir groups where competing at the Olympic games of choral song.
The 10th international World Choir Games 2018 Tswane took place this year for the first time on the African continent. This world competition saw more than 300 choirs from 62 countries competing for the crowns of ensemble and choral song, with the NWU represented by die NWU-Puk Choir and the Boulevard Harmonists.
The choir competed in two categories: Musica Sacra (sacred music) with accompaniment and Mixed Choirs, for both categories the choir received gold medals. The Boulevard Harmonists, a six voice a Capella group, competed in the categories; Vocal Ensemble and Spiritual Music, where they respectively won a gold and a silver medal.
This popular bi-annual competition is presented by the German company – Interkultur – and took place during the months of June and July in Tswane (Pretoria). During the 2014 Wold Choir Games in Riga (Latvia), the choir also received a gold medal.
The choral director for both the Boulevard Harmonists and the NWU-Puk Choir felt it a privilege to share choir music with the rest of the world. “It was an experience of a life time, enriching the life of the students involved. We are ecstatic with the results and we are proud to have represented the NWU and Potchefstroom!”
“I don’t think we as the choir realised the immense size of the competition until we stood on the stage of the Sun Arena and sang Shosholoza with 8000 other choir members”, said Hanru Visser, a member of the NWU-Puk Choir. According to him the entire experience was life changing and won’t be soon forgotten by the choir members. “If anything, we can take away two things from this experience, pride and gratitude.”
According to Jaco van der Walt (NWU Arts: Potchefstroom) the opportunity to mingle and perform with choirs members from 62 different countries was a once in a lifetime opportunity. “To be able to see the choirs from China, Greece and Japan perform was an absolute privilege. Music is truly a language understood by all!”
Written by: Rouxné van der Westhuizen