Choir has come to shape many of my experiences here in South Africa. Not only because I am furthering my interest in singing, but it has allowed me to meet many people that I potentially would never have met. For the first two weeks in December I found myself at a choir “camp.” No, it was not like the choir camp held at Green Lake Bible Camp with counselors for us to look up to and cabins to sleep in. However, it was much in the same that there were activities and games planned for us throughout each day (including a 5am wake-up call to do exercise, both physically and vocally) that helped prepare us for the upcoming ELCSAMO choir competition between the top choirs from each diocese of ELCSA. During the camp, I spent countless hours with individuals from the Turfloop Parish Youth Choir singing, dancing, talking, and hanging out getting to know one another further. Through this, I have made and developed some wonderful friendships.
As you may remember, I was in a choir competition last September where we placed first in five of the seven songs we sang. This gave us the golden ticket to the competition between each diocese in ELCSA, which was held here at the University of Limpopo at Turfloop on December 10 and 11. This is what we were “camping” out and preparing for. You may also remember from the last choir competition I was in, I had to borrow a black vest, black tie, black pants, and unfortunately due to the size of my foot could not borrow black shoes but was instead forced to wear my own brown shoes. Thanks to my mom and dad back at home, this time I had my own black pants and black tie and I was able to find a pair of black shoes here in Limpopo. That means I was missing a black vest. I couldn’t just have any black vest, as it needed to have the ELCSA Mphome Circuit badge on it. The one I had borrowed in Witbank was to be coming so I could use it again, however the individual arrived on the day of the competition empty handed, no vest for me to borrow. Here we go again, I thought. After asking several people if they knew where I could find one, it seemed as if I was out of luck and the white man that already stuck out, would be sticking out even more. Then, about twenty minutes before it was our turn to sing, one of the girls said she had one I could wear. Finally, I had the entire uniform.
Regardless of now “looking” the same as my fellow choristers, I was nervous to sing. Standing there on stage in an arena with nearly 4,000 people in attendance, I could feel my heart racing and my face turning red. The song, We Come in Bright Array, was about to begin. Moss, our choir conductor was ready. We began singing, but I couldn’t hear the words coming out of my mouth over the loud beating of my heart. Before I knew it, the song was over. I had done it, WE had done it. As we walked off the stage, we all looked at each other, knowing that we had performed very well. The song changed from “We Come” to “We Came” as we knew we had done our best, we sang the new lyrics back to our seats with excitement! My nerves were now calmed and I knew I would be just fine singing the rest of the weekend.
The following day, the competitions continued. On this day we sang our African pieces, meaning the lyrics were not in English. These songs proved to be much more difficult for me to learn and sing as they were not in a tongue that I knew or recognized, and some words included clicks and other such noises that I simply do not do. Nevertheless, I did my best to learn them and performed one of them, Molaetsa. Again, it went very well, but there were some very good choirs competing against us that also performed very well.
Once we were finished singing, we waited for the rest of the sections to perform their songs. We once again sat together as a choir. Between each song we would stand and sing a chorus that would spread throughout the hall, inviting the audience to stand and sing with us. It was a festive time. Then it was time for the results. As they came to each section we sang, we would quiet ourselves and concentrate, waiting for them to say, “First place with __ points, Northern Diocese!” And once again, we heard this even more than we expected, as we received first place in four of the five songs we entered with! We were ecstatic! We sang and danced throughout our seats, into the hallway, down the stairs, out the entrance, into the parking lot, and into the road where we sat our trophies down and proceeded to dance around them, paying little attention to the cars leaving the arena!
It felt great winning these trophies. It felt even better celebrating with my friends, seeing how happy each individual was for what we had accomplished together. Then one of the conductors from our choir called attention to me and explained how several other conductors and spectators had asked her if “the white man” would be singing the vernacular songs. She told them “Yes, of course, watch him when he goes on stage.” She continued to explain how happy and thankful she was when I opened my mouth so very wide on stage, singing every word of the African song. She was not the only person to comment on this. The day of and in the days following as I moved about campus, Turfloop, Masealama, and on the taxis, those in attendance at the competition had taken note that “the white man” sang every word of Molaetsa and would tell me how impressed they were.
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that I have been given through singing in the choir. I am still shocked when I think that it has been the most dynamic aspect of my time in South Africa. Unfortunately, this was the culmination of the competitions and there will not be another until after I depart next year. The friendships I have created through the choir will continue, and perhaps there is something else waiting for me to unexpectedly fall in love with…
As you may remember, I was in a choir competition last September where we placed first in five of the seven songs we sang. This gave us the golden ticket to the competition between each diocese in ELCSA, which was held here at the University of Limpopo at Turfloop on December 10 and 11. This is what we were “camping” out and preparing for. You may also remember from the last choir competition I was in, I had to borrow a black vest, black tie, black pants, and unfortunately due to the size of my foot could not borrow black shoes but was instead forced to wear my own brown shoes. Thanks to my mom and dad back at home, this time I had my own black pants and black tie and I was able to find a pair of black shoes here in Limpopo. That means I was missing a black vest. I couldn’t just have any black vest, as it needed to have the ELCSA Mphome Circuit badge on it. The one I had borrowed in Witbank was to be coming so I could use it again, however the individual arrived on the day of the competition empty handed, no vest for me to borrow. Here we go again, I thought. After asking several people if they knew where I could find one, it seemed as if I was out of luck and the white man that already stuck out, would be sticking out even more. Then, about twenty minutes before it was our turn to sing, one of the girls said she had one I could wear. Finally, I had the entire uniform.
Regardless of now “looking” the same as my fellow choristers, I was nervous to sing. Standing there on stage in an arena with nearly 4,000 people in attendance, I could feel my heart racing and my face turning red. The song, We Come in Bright Array, was about to begin. Moss, our choir conductor was ready. We began singing, but I couldn’t hear the words coming out of my mouth over the loud beating of my heart. Before I knew it, the song was over. I had done it, WE had done it. As we walked off the stage, we all looked at each other, knowing that we had performed very well. The song changed from “We Come” to “We Came” as we knew we had done our best, we sang the new lyrics back to our seats with excitement! My nerves were now calmed and I knew I would be just fine singing the rest of the weekend.
The following day, the competitions continued. On this day we sang our African pieces, meaning the lyrics were not in English. These songs proved to be much more difficult for me to learn and sing as they were not in a tongue that I knew or recognized, and some words included clicks and other such noises that I simply do not do. Nevertheless, I did my best to learn them and performed one of them, Molaetsa. Again, it went very well, but there were some very good choirs competing against us that also performed very well.
Once we were finished singing, we waited for the rest of the sections to perform their songs. We once again sat together as a choir. Between each song we would stand and sing a chorus that would spread throughout the hall, inviting the audience to stand and sing with us. It was a festive time. Then it was time for the results. As they came to each section we sang, we would quiet ourselves and concentrate, waiting for them to say, “First place with __ points, Northern Diocese!” And once again, we heard this even more than we expected, as we received first place in four of the five songs we entered with! We were ecstatic! We sang and danced throughout our seats, into the hallway, down the stairs, out the entrance, into the parking lot, and into the road where we sat our trophies down and proceeded to dance around them, paying little attention to the cars leaving the arena!
It felt great winning these trophies. It felt even better celebrating with my friends, seeing how happy each individual was for what we had accomplished together. Then one of the conductors from our choir called attention to me and explained how several other conductors and spectators had asked her if “the white man” would be singing the vernacular songs. She told them “Yes, of course, watch him when he goes on stage.” She continued to explain how happy and thankful she was when I opened my mouth so very wide on stage, singing every word of the African song. She was not the only person to comment on this. The day of and in the days following as I moved about campus, Turfloop, Masealama, and on the taxis, those in attendance at the competition had taken note that “the white man” sang every word of Molaetsa and would tell me how impressed they were.
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that I have been given through singing in the choir. I am still shocked when I think that it has been the most dynamic aspect of my time in South Africa. Unfortunately, this was the culmination of the competitions and there will not be another until after I depart next year. The friendships I have created through the choir will continue, and perhaps there is something else waiting for me to unexpectedly fall in love with…
so great to hear this story, Taylor! I would have loved to be a part of this..... and wait, what do you mean in your last sentence? What a cliff hanger!
ReplyDeleteAfrican Choir Competitions are the best! So glad you got to experience this! I guess you will have to find a group to sing with in the States upon your return!
ReplyDeleteLoved your reflections about the water issue too! So proud of you and don't forget - we continue to pray for you!
Culynn