Durban - Spend Freedom Day (April 27) being entertained by the cream of the province’s young musical talent.
Youth music groups and ensembles from across KZN will gather at Fig Tree Farm in Hillcrest for a day of music, fun, picnics and the spirit of Ubuntu at Kearsney College’s Freedom Day Youth Music Festival.
“We started this festival last year. We felt a need in the Upper Highway area. Everything was happening down in the city while there was a void here. It was so successful we are now making it an annual event,” said the school’s head of music Bernard Kruger
“Last year we were still trying to find our feet, but this year as soon as word got out, schools and provincial ensembles came on board ‒they just lined up. We have a full day of music planned. I am confident this will become a highlight on the annual musical calendar,” he said.
This year they are using a different area of the farm that forms a natural amphitheatre that can seat up to 5 000 people.
“I’m excited about the fact that all three of the province’s major ensembles ‒ the KZN Youth Orchestra, the KZN Wind Band and the KZN Youth Choir ‒ will come together on one concert stage. It hasn’t happened in years.”
In addition to the award-winning Kearsney College choir, 16 schools will have choirs featured: St Anne’s, St Mary’s DSG, Reddam House uMhlanga, Glenwood High, Girls’ College, Westville Senior Primary, St Benedict’s, St Henry’s, Highbury, Eshowe High, Pinetown Girls’ High, Maritzburg Christian School, Treverton, Umhlali Prep and the Imbeleko Academy.
“With schools from Eshowe and Hilton, it’s not just a Durban festival but a KZN festival,” he said.
He was especially excited by the Hope Choir from the Imbeleko Academy, an NPO in the Inanda Valley that runs a school that’s part of a community upliftment programme. “It’s a community effort and it becomes a community day of joy and celebration. It’s the spirit of Freedom Day,” said Kurger.
“There’s going to be a moment around lunchtime when we teach everyone who’s in the audience to sing Shosholoza. And then all the choirs and everyone in the audience sings it together. It’s wonderful to have people singing together,” he said.
Another highlight is singer Kyle Deutsch giving a sneak peek of a new single he’s releasing the next day. “It’s a big reveal,” said Kruger, “and its first public performance backed by the Kearsney College choir and orchestra.”
Food is on sale but people can bring their own picnic baskets, blankets and chairs. “There’s craft beer and craft gin and something for the parents and something for the kids,” says Kruger. “There’s not a lot of shade so bring sunglasses, hats and sunscreen.”
Tickets are R150 for adults and R100 for students and pensioners from www.quicket.co.za.
The Independent on Saturday