Hamba vangeli

"Hamba vangeli" is a protest song from South Africa: Freedom is coming. Spread the new word.

This song forms part of the Alexander L'Estrange's work Zimbe! that City of Dunedin Choir will be presenting at the concert in early September this year.

Sung here by a group from Soweto, Johannesburg.

Protest song

"We shall not give up the fight" is a South African protest song (freedom song) - "together we'll have victory, hand holding hand". The majority of South African protest music of the 20th century concerned itself with apartheid, a system of legalized racial segregation in which blacks were stripped of their citizenship and rights from 1948 to 1994.

This song forms part of the Alexander L'Estrange's work Zimbe! that City of Dunedin Choir will be presenting at the concert in early September this year.

This recording: Performed by The Greater Boston Intergenerational Chorus, May 20, 2008 Concert. Arranged and directed by Joanne Hammil

Thuma mina

"Thuma mina" is a traditional South African funeral song: Send me, Lord; Lead me, Lord.

This song forms part of the Alexander L'Estrange's work Zimbe! that City of Dunedin Choir will be presenting at the concert in early September this year.

This arrangement is by Junior Howell and Desmond Waithe originally for the La Petite Musical. In this recording Eastern Youth Chorale of Trinidad and Tobago has decided to perform the piece accompanied by non melodic percussion (african drums) to bring an authentic Afro nuance to the work.

Vamudara

"Vamudara" is a Shona drinking song from Zimbabwe, about a drunken man dancing himself to death!

This song forms part of the Alexander L'Estrange's work Zimbe! that City of Dunedin Choir will be presenting at the concert in early September this year.

It is performed here by Smithtown High School East Chorus (in St James, New York),  choir director is Mark Hegrenness.

Hamba Lulu

"Hamba Lulu" is a Zulu wedding song from South Africa and it means: Go well, Lulu. Lulu is the name of the bride.

This song forms part of the Alexander L'Estrange's work Zimbe! that City of Dunedin Choir will be presenting at the concert in early September this year.

It is performed here by the Cantate Youth Choir at their 15th Birthday Concert, 2009.

Wai bamba

"Wai Bamba!" is a bouncy, groovy traditional Shona wedding song from Zimbabwe, usually sung with a lusty call and response by the "crowd".

This song forms part of the Alexander L'Estrange's work Zimbe! that City of Dunedin Choir will be presenting at the concert in early September this year.

This rather subdued performance is by The Early Music Consort of Lipscomb University under the direction of Dr. Gerald Moore.

Thula Mama, thula

"Thula Mama, thula" is a Zulu lullaby for mothers of imprisoned sons. The words mean, simply: Hush, Mama.

This song forms part of the Alexander L'Estrange's work Zimbe! that City of Dunedin Choir will be presenting at the concert in early September this year.

This is a different version of the song performed here by the Vocal Sisters.

Sansa kroma

"Sansa kroma" is a playground song from Ghana in Africa. The words mean: Sansa, the hawk! You are an orphan, and so you snatch up baby chicks.

This song forms part of the Alexander L'Estrange's work Zimbe! that City of Dunedin Choir will be presenting at the concert in early September this year.

It is performed here by Con Anima, at the October 2008 St Patrick's College of Wellington's Music Department Concert, under the direction of Roger Powdrell.

Singabahambayo thina

"Singabahambayo thina" is a Methodist sacred song from Africa; the words translate as: We are the ones going through this world, to our home in heaven. Alleluia!

It forms part of the Alexander L'Estrange's work Zimbe! that City of Dunedin Choir will be presenting at the concert in early September this year.

Sheffield Socialist Choir performance at the Sala Dolores. The performance is part of the International Choir Festival in Santiago de Cuba

Siyahamba

"Siyahamba" is a traditional worship song from South Africa, sub-titled: "We are marching/singing in the light of God". It forms part of the Alexander L'Estrange's work Zimbe! that City of Dunedin Choir will be presenting at the concert in early September this year.

This performance is by the 2007 VCDA District VII Mixed Chorus of South Africa.

Steal away

“Steal Away” from “A Child of Our Time” by Sir Michael Tippett. This performance was given at the 1976 Europa Cantat 6 Festival in Leicester. The Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Willi Gohl. The chorus includes singers from Germany and Israel. Tippett was the LSSO's patron from 1965 until his death and regularly conducted the orchestra both at home and abroad.



“Steal away” from Sir Michael Tippett's “A Child of Our Time”.
Sung by the Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge.

A practice midi sound file of "Steal Away" can be found at this videotron page.

Go down, Moses

“Go down, Moses” from "A Child of Our Time" by Sir Michael Tippett.

Nobody knows

“Nobody knows” from "A Child of Our Time" by Sir Michael Tippett.

By and by

“By and by” from "A Child of Our Time" by Sir Michael Tippett.

A practice midi sound file of "By and by" can be found at this videotron page.

Deep River

“Deep river” from "A Child of Our Time" by Sir Michael Tippett.
Cynthia Haymon, London Symphony Orchestra & Richard Hickox 2002

Notable patrons

It was really pleasing on Sunday to see so many Dunedinites brave the cold to attend the Fauré and Friends concert in St Paul's Cathedral. And it was not only Dunedinites; people further afield made a special trip into town - for example, we heard that car-loads came from Balclutha. That is so awesome! Thank you to all the patrons - a performance is so much better if there is a good audience to sing to.

Also spotted in the audience was Kenneth Young, conductor and composer from Christchurch, and Judy Bellingham, dramatic soprano and Senior Lecturer in Voice at the University of Otago.

There may have been other notable patrons in the audience, but these are the only ones I was able to recognise. Thank you also to these busy people for taking the time to attend our Choir's performances.

Judging from the review we did not disappoint! In fact, reports are still coming in by word of mouth of how much people enjoyed the music and the quality of the performance. Well done City of Dunedin Choir!

Last night we started rehearsing for the next concert in early September, so if there are any singers out there looking for a choir to join, now would be a good time to come along - see cityofdunedinchoir.org.nz for more information.

Faure and Friends Review

City of Dunedin Choir and Friends at St Paul’s Sunday 13 June

City of Dunedin Choir and guests - organist Rachel Swindells, soprano Catherine Daly-Reeve and baritone Benjamin Caukwell - directed alternately by David Burchell and Michael Dawson warmed a capacity audience at St Paul’s this Sunday with a charming selection of works by Fauré, Dupré, Saint-Saëns, Poulenc and Alain.

The subdued programme steeped its audience in the mood of the early twentieth-century as experienced and expressed by the French. The only brusque tonality here was Poulenc’s difficult “Four Small Prayers” which suffered through an initial lack of confidence, but managed to retain a sense of pitch despite the work’s harmonic convolutions. The last two prayers - “Seigneur, je vous en prie” and “O mes très chers frères” – were particularly nicely done. Unfortunately the intriguing melodic twists in Dupré’s “Laudate Dominum” were lost behind an over zealous organ accompaniment.

In an excellent line-up, the highlight goes to Fauré’s beautiful “Requiem”. Accompanied by Swindells on the organ, the choir and soloists successfully rendered its quiet menace, its awe-full melodies and teasingly short-lived climaxes to achieve ethereal excellence. Daly-Reeve’s “Pie Jesu” revealed a voice of boyish clarity and fittingly celestial quality. Caukwell’s “Libera Me” and “Offertorium” revealed a rich voice with dramatic strengths particularly in keeping the chant-like sections alive.

Alain’s delightful set of variations for organ, well played by Burchell, insinuates Janequin’s sixteenth century simplicity into the cynicism of the twentieth century. Saint-Saëns’ “Calme des Nuits”, “Les Fleurs” and “Ave Maria” revealed his other pictorial strengths away from “Danse Macabre”. The small choir in Fauré’s dulcette “Tantum Ergo” is commended, as is the unaccompanied singing throughout the programme.

Fauré’s “Cantique de Jean Racine” was sung with sweet intensity, its lyricism providing a welcome comparatively spirited interlude.

This was a programme which demanded quiet strength and was for the most part a convincing portrayal of the still and small French voice.

Bravo.

Marian Poole (Review published in the Otago Daily Times, Monday 14 June 2010)

Programme for Faure Concert

Here is the programme (in order) of the works that the City of Dunedin Choir will perform on Sunday 13 June 2010, 3:00 pm in St Paul's Cathedral.
(There will be no interval.)

Laudate Dominum – Marcel Dupré (1886 – 1971)

Calme des nuits – Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 – 1921)
Les fleurs et les arbres – Camille Saint-Saëns


Madrigal – Gabriel Fauré (1845 – 1924)

Ave Maria – Camille Saint-Saëns
Maria, Mater gratiae – Gabriel Fauré
Tantum ergo – Gabriel Fauré

Quatre petites prières de Saint François s’Assise – Francis Poulenc (1899 – 1963)
   i Salut, Dame Sainte
   ii Tout puissant, très saint
   iii Seigneur, je vous en prie
   iv O mes très chers frères

Cantique de Jean Racine – Gabriel Fauré

Variations sur un thème de Clement Jannequin – Jehan Alain (1911 – 1940)
David Burchell – Organ

Requiem – Gabriel Fauré
   i Introit and Kyrie
   ii Offertorium
   iii Sanctus
   iv Pie Jesu
   v Agnus Dei
   vi Libera me
   vii In paradisum

Tickets are on sale now - please visit the City of Dunedin Choir website for further information. Don't miss this lovely concert - see you there!