The Coastal town of Plettenberg Bay was the third stop on the Drakensberg Boys Choir 6 stop tour of the Free State and the Western Cape, and what an evening it was! The performance was divided into two parts, the first somewhat classical and the second Afro-Pop. We started off with the Magnificat and ended up with the Circle of Life and Shosholoza. In the first section the quality of singing was superb, 42 young boys from Soprano to Baritone to Bass managing the intricacy of the compositions superbly. In the second section the energy, the vibrancy, the choreography whether gumboot dancing, drumming or harmonizing was beyond dynamic.
With their Mission to prepare boys for life and leadership through excellence in music, academics, sport and social enrichment in a Christian environment, the school builds resilience, grows relationships and fosters global ambassadors with music as a tool to spread its message of hope. The choir performs an average of 80 concerts annually, and as Vaughn van Zyl, the Choir Master and a previous student himself says “the magic of our music will not be silenced, and we will continue to strive to enchant our audiences with world-class performances whether it be in a stadium packed to capacity or at our home in the Valley of Music – the Drakensberg.”
Whether music is your passion, or your interest, or neither – don’t ever turn up an opportunity to spend an evening with the Drakies, you will leave exhilarated and proud to be South African, and you will have experienced the joy of what is a truly wonderful South African asset, even treasure!
