St Mary's DSG Choir and Siyajabula High School Choir Combined Concert

St Mary's DSG Choir and Siyajabula High School Choir will be collaborating in their first full concert on August 15 2018. The relationship between the two choirs began when their conductor, Mr Siphesihle Sihle heard the St Mary's DSG Choir perform at a concert at Hilton College where he was attending a Mathematics conference. He made contact with us, and has attended two choral events in 2017 at St Mary's with his choir, where they performed short items. Last year they were met with thunderous applause after their fabulous performance as guest artists at our Interhouse Singing Finals. We look forward to sharing the stage with them again this year. The Programme will include a variety of songs from the Siyajabula Choir, the St Mary's High School Choir  as well as both the Scenic Pop and Scenic Folk World Choir Games Repertoire from the St Mary's DSG Tour Choir.

 

The programme is as follows:

 

"Ichokwadi" (Zimbabwean worship song)

"Highest Praise/Halelu" (Zulu/English Worship song)

 "I Was Here" (soloists Alande Mkhize and Zoleka Magagula),  

 

Boys Choir: Isicathamiya (trad)

Mixed Choir: Emmanual by Lourens Faul

 

"Symphony" - Patterson et al, arr L. Rottcher and L van der Meulen 

"Bohemian Rhapsody"   - F. Mercury, arr. L van der Meulen

"Sing!" - Grassi et al, arr L. van der Meulen

 

 

Duet: Uthingo Iwenkisazana  

Mixed Choir: 

: Sone Ngani (trad)

: Homeless medley (Ladysmith Black Mambazo)

: Sicela Indlela (Koloi)

 

“You Strike a Woman, You Strike a Rock”
Modern Day Slavery is a scourge which affects every nation of the world. If you are a woman, you are vulnerable to be targeted for human trafficking, particularly if you are a young woman.  As an all-girls’ school, we feel particularly passionate about fighting this injustice. In an attempt to raise awareness of this growing problem, and in the light of the recent horrific abductions of young women in African countries, St Mary’s DSG choir dedicates this programme to the fight against human trafficking and modern day slavery of all forms. Supporting initiatives such as the A21 Campaign and the International Justice Mission which rescues modern day slaves, is one way we can all help.  We stand for truth and justice and invite all who listen to us perform to do the same.
The repertoire chosen for this programme are traditional songs, but have been reinterpreted for the purposes of this programme. 

Section A: Young girls are often lured into human trafficking and slavery through a trusted friend or boyfriend. Trying to escape is often impossible.

Gijima – a traditional song meaning “run”.    (Arr. L Rottcher)

Lobola – A traditional song which refers to the promise of marriage and the problem of affording lobola, the “bride price”.    (Arr. L Rottcher)

Nginesi Ponono – Traditional song which refers to having a boyfriend in Durban (one of the main cities in South Africa).     (Arr L Rottcher)

Section B:  The pain of deception, separation from loved ones, and imprisonment.

Indodana Composed by Barrett and Schmidt, (treble version arr M. Barrett ). A prayer of sorrow and crying out to God.

Sechaba (Siyelele Mama) Composed by Hugh Masekela  (Sarafina!)  “We are under attack” (Arr. L Rottcher)

Section C:  Hope for freedom and justice

Nkosi Sikelele Africa/Freedom is Coming Composed by Mbongeni Ngema (Sarafina!). (Arr L. Rottcher)

Wathin’ abafazi, wathin’ imbokodo “You strike a woman, you strike a rock”. This is a chant popularised by the women in the struggle for freedom from apartheid.

We reinterpret these songs for the purposes of this programme as we fight for the freedom of women enslaved around the world.
 

 

Ndandihleli