Stellenbosch is being treated to a school choir festival when at least 1 100 pupils from 24 schools from the region present two performances as part of the annual e’Bosch Heritage Project’s celebrations during Heritage Month September.
The first performance, yesterday Tuesday September 19, was held by 490 pupils from eight of Stellenbosch’s high schools, at Bloemhof Girls’ High, at 7pm.
The second performance by 650 pupils from 16 primary schools is on Friday September 22, at 6.30pm, in the Stellenbosch City Hall. Entry is free.
After months of preparation, the first joint choir practice for high schools took place last weekend, attended by the following schools (with their choir leaders in brackets): Bloemhof High School (Marijke Roos); Cloetesville Senior Secondary (Carl Rhode); Kayamandi Senior Secondary (Phinda Makapela); Makapula Senior Secondary (Andiswa Sesanti); Paul Roos Gymnasium (Stephan Bezuidenhout); Rhenish Girls’ High (Sonja van Amstel); Stellenbosch High School (Xander Kritzinger) and Stellenzicht Senior Secondary (Danelle Paulse). A second joint exercise for high schools will be held at Bloemhof Girls’ High this Saturday.
The e’Bosch School Choir Festival, the sixth in a row, also enjoys its highest level of professional support this year.
Choir leaders from various schools now receive coaching from inter alia the Stellenbosch University’s Department of Music and practical support by Matie Community Service.
The school choir festival is one of the e’Bosch Heritage Projects’ many events aimed at promoting volunteer participation without the pressure of competition between the different communities of the region. The ultimate goal of the e’Bosch movement is to create a united heritage for all the communities in the greater Stellenbosch region where everyone appreciates and respects one another and feel at home.
The e’Bosch movement offers at least 30 projects over September, with contributions from, among others, towns or ‘dorpies’ such as Cloetesville, Ida’s Valley, Jamestown, Kayamandi, Klapmuts, Kylemore, Pnië* , Raithby and Stellenbosch Central.
See www.ebosch.co.za for more information and the full programme.
