3 minute read
Seaford Choral Society
by Fran Tegg
ANd Now FoR SoMETHiNG CoMPLETELY diFFERENT…
A chance encounter on a train started it all. The composer Alexander L’Estrange sat down opposite a woman who was looking through a small book of manuscript paper. Intrigued, he asked if she was also a musician. ‘Not really!’ she replied but was on her way to lead a prison music group. The woman knew many excellent African and gospel music songs but had never led a singing workshop before and was rather nervous.
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L’Estrange offered to help, the woman shared her songs, and the composer immediately fell in love with the music. He decided that he wanted to write something that: ‘Captured the essence of the African spirit through glimpses of the human experience’. So, he wrote Zimbe! A collection of everything from children’s playground songs to raucous drinking songs; a lullaby from the mothers of the victims of Apartheid, wedding songs, protest, gospel, worship, and funeral music. It would have been easy for Seaford Choral Society to play it safe for our first post-pandemic major choral work, but after two COVID-cautious concerts we are ready for a new challenge and Zimbe! is it. Most of us didn’t really know what we were letting ourselves in for when we turned up to the first rehearsal, and it was rather daunting. Much of the text is in Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Shona and Akan (languages of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ghana), and as it’s a work for full-chorus, semi-chorus, children’s choir, jazz quintet and ‘copious percussion’, there are a lot of lines on the page. But after half an hour of singing, we were won over. It turns out singing in Swahili is not really any harder than singing in Latin or German, and apparently Hallelujah is Hallelujah in any language. Hallelujah!
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By the time you read this, we will have been practising hard for several more weeks, but it’s not too late to join us. It’s a big work and we need a big choir! So, if you’ve ever sung before and would like to get back into it, or if you’ve never sung before and want to give it a go – all are welcome. We are a friendly, non-audition choir who just love to sing (and eat biscuits in the tea break). And, as we are finding out, the beautiful African songs are easy to learn and impossible to forget.
We also need a BIG AUDIENCE for our concert on Saturday 2nd July, so please put it in your diary and come along. We will be joined by Seaford Primary School Choir (who are also practising hard), a professional jazz quintet and all that ‘copious percussion’. Tickets are available from choir members and Newberry Tully Estate Agents. Details are on our website and Facebook page, where you can also message to buy tickets.
Can Seaford really pull off a jazz choral work in Swahili? To be honest, we’re not really sure yet, but you’re going to want to be there to find out, right?
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