City kids to compete in choir ‘Olympics’

THE KIMBERLEY Children’s Choir will be competing in the Children’s Choirs and Musica Sacra with accompaniment in the World Choir Games that will be held in Pretoria from July 4 to 8.

The choir was selected by the artistic committee of Interkultur – the German organisers of the event - to compete in the champions competition that is considered the highest level at the World Choir Games that takes place every two years.

Kimberley Academy of Music manager and conductor of the Kimberley Children’s Choir, Estelle Vorster, said that the choir had won two gold medals in previous editions of the World Choir Games.

“The choir participated in the World Choir Games in Linz, Austria in 2000, in Xiamen, China in 2006 and in Graz, Austria in 2008.

“At the first World Choir Games in 2000 they were placed at number three in the Children’s Choirs category.

“The choir participated in the International ATKV Animato competition every year as from 2014 and was selected as the winners in the Children’s Choir category in 2015 in Pretoria and received a certificate for the best performance of a prescribed work.”

Vorster said that this was the first time that Interkultur was holding the event on the African continent.

“All amateur choirs of the world are invited for 11 days to meet singers from all over the world in competitions, at friendship concerts and major singing projects.

“The idea is to create an event like the World Choir Games is based on the Olympic ideals, which aim to peacefully unify people and nations connected by song in a fair competition.”