What a week of shocks and surprises as Varsity Sing moves to the Free State. After three, rather straightforward weeks of competition and subsequent elimination, the inaugural Varsity Sing yielded some big surprises within the first few minutes of its last regional round.
Host Marno Van der Merwe announced that Durban-based choir Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) pulled out of the show this year, citing strike action at the institution leading to a loss of rehearsal time.
That means that the choirs of the University of the Free State (Kovsies) and the Central University of Technology (CUT) proceed to the semi-finals of Varsity Sing, along with the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Stellenbosch University (Maties), Rhodes University, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), University of Pretoria (Tuks Camerata) and University of Johannesburg (UJ).
In place of MUT, we were exposed to the Mzansi Youth Choir. Their performance seemed to be a bit of an oddity but it went down well with the audience and judges. They sang a selection of Afrikaans songs such as Suikebossie, Die Alibama and the most entertaining: a rendition of Kurt Darren’s Loslappie.
It was jarring but interesting to see the colourfully-dressed group gyrate and bop the song, about a playful lover wanting to return home to his mother. Perhaps Loslappie gets lost in translation.
Meanwhile, we saw a change in judges this week: Nicholas Nicolaides stepped in for Christo Burger, who was in Italy with the Jacaranda Children’s Choir. The celeb judge for the Free State regional was tenor Jannie Moolman, himself a Kovsies alumnus. CUT were impressive with their song choice – Soos ‘n wildbok, a setting of Psalm 42.
It’s a melodic, soft setting, reflecting on quieter worship practices. I felt the performance was controlled and had an appropriate volume range. Nicolaides said it was a fantastic choice but straight-talker judge Marvin Kernelle said it was not a good rendition and that they need to think about their breathing.
Kovsies sang a Sotho and Xhosa medley – Mahlalela and Akasalila. I felt they did not have enough bass for their sound; the altos seemed prominent. Their motion was in place and well-timed. Nicolaides felt they were completely balanced and had a “homogenous sound”. Judge Loyiso Bala, himself a choir singer through schooling at the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir School, felt it was a safe choice and that the choir needs to step up and compete.
The show wrapped up with an announcement that Pretoria would be hosting the 2018 choir games, something that is likely to add to South Africa’s ever-growing choir culture.
Tune in to kykNET on Thursday nights at 8.30pm for Varsity Sing. Next week is the first live semi-final in Johannesburg.
By Wendyl Martin, Weekend Argus
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