The Speech of the Free State MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Mr D.A.M Kgothule, on the occasion of the first Choral Competition for churches, Mangaung

Programme Director
Colleagues
Honoured Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Comrades

Over the past months, the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, has committed itself to the upliftment of choral music in the province. This commitment has already been achieved with the hosting of the Provincial Choral Music Festival and, subsequently, the Provincial Choral Music Competitions at the end of last year. This objective of promoting choral music in the province was further enhanced by our hosting of the Old Mutual Choral competition in December last year.

It therefore gives me a great pleasure to welcome all of you to this next chapter in the continuing process of establishing Choral music as a dominant feature in the Free State Performing Arts environment.

The Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, not only strive to be the custodian of Choral music as a fully-fledged art form which is historically important, but also want to use choral music as a tool to fulfil the communities’ desire to be morally uplifted.

Programme director, it is thus a pleasure to be part of yet another first initiative by the department. This inaugural Choral Music Competition for churches is indeed one of the landmarks in a list of initiatives taken by this department. After the success of the biggest choral competition that was hosted in the province, with more than 40 choirs taking part from all five districts, the hosting of the first provincial Choral Music Competition and the establishing of structures to host these competitions and festivals, we mark today as this first interdenominational choral competition for churches.

What makes today even more significant is that most artists that focus on choral music would have started or have been involved in a church choir at some stage in their careers. Choral music in general is the cradle for all other music forms. Church choral music in particular is the cradle for the emergence and development of greatest known artists.

Church choirs can therefore be considered as the foundation of music, as well as assisting with issues of social cohesion and nation building, and being a major player in moral regeneration of communities and society in general.

With prize money at stake and trophies to take home, I invite every single guest here today to sit back and enjoy the best the province has to offer. Prizes will be awarded to overall winners in each category. All the participating choirs will each receive a R1 000 participation fee. Positions 1 - 3 in each category will receive Trophies and Prize Money ranging from R5 000 to R3 000 in both the Male and Female voice categories, R8 000 to R4 000 in the Senior “B” Category and R10 000 to R6000 in the Senior “A” category.

To all the participating choirs, I invite you to enjoy the experience, and the opportunity to showcase what can be done in this, your chosen art form.

Enjoy yourselves!

I thank you.