AFTER mesmerising audiences with their singing voices during their European tour, Kearsney College’s 53-member choir landed in Durban on Saturday after having won the “Male Choirs” section of the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival, held in Vienna.
The choir relished the opportunity to go on a two-week tour of Austria and the Czech Republic, as the Covid-19 pandemic prevented international tours for the past two years.
Performing at the “Golden Hall'', Vienna’s famed concert venue, Kearsney’s ensemble of choristers’ flawless synchronisation earned them an ”Outstanding Success“ rating from the judges.
Kearsney’s singing, especially in their final performance last Sunday, drew a standing ovation from the audience, who had to be quietened down so that the judges could deliver their views.
Some of the songs sung at the festival included El Hombre Armado (medieval melody), Trinklied, Awakening the Ancestors, Khoydt Zaychyk (Ukrainian lullaby), Sucker (Jonas Brothers), and Sab’ Inganono (Afraid of the Cannons).
This award was the latest gong added to the already long list of international awards the Botha’s Hill-based boys’ school has achieved for choral singing over the years.
It includes 15 gold and seven silver medals at the World Choir Games between 2000 and 2018. Kearsney previously bagged the “Prize of the City of Vienna” at the 33rd International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna.
Some of their other achievements include first prizes achieved in international choral competitions held in Hong Kong, Germany and Austria.
At the World Choir Games in Cincinnati in July 2012, the choir was crowned World Champions in Scenic Folklore for the third time. At the games in Latvia (2014), the choir won the Scenic Pop category and the Champion title again, as well as gold medals in the Folklore and Young Male Choir categories.
Another standout moment for the choir came in November 2017, when Interkultur, an organisation that organises international choir competitions, ranked them as the 12th-best choir in the world.
The boys finished the festival by participating in the Gala Winners’ Concert on Tuesday, before moving to Prague to give more performances.
Kearsney’s headmaster, Elwyn van den Aardweg, said: “Thanks to support from the Kearsney community, the choir was fortunate to have toured to Europe after an absence from international exposure.
“The resilience of the boys and staff in immediately returning after this absence to a world-class level of delivery is to be celebrated. We are overjoyed with their exceptional performances on global stages in claiming top spot.”
SUNDAY TRIBUNE