UJ Choir celebrate 50 years of bringing music to South Africa
The UJ Choir celebrates its 50th anniversary in September and its doing so in a way it knows best: music.
For 50 years the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass tones of the University of Johannesburg Choir (UJ Choir) have met to reverberate melodically through venues. To celebrate this milestone, a celebration concert will be held at the Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, found at the UJ Art Centre, on September 13 and 14.
As this golden year is marked, the paper spoke to Sizwe Mondlane, who, following the recent retirement of Renette Bouwer, became the choir’s choirmaster. He shared his experiences within the choir and what this 50th anniversary means to all those who form part of it.
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This is not the first time at the wheel for Mondlane, having co-piloted the choir back in 2018 when it was preparing for the World Choir Games. When asked in what ways being in the choir has impacted his life, he simply said that he found purpose in the space. “I met destiny. I was studying accounting when I joined the UJ Choir as a student, and now, I am a fulltime choral director and musician.”
In his opinion, music can help give relief and comfort, and has the power to unite worlds and generations – even when the language is not understood. He is also of the mind that it can incapsulate time, while expressing what words fail to articulate and calling on us to listen to each other.
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He considers the UJ Choir to be a representation of our diverse and vibrant country. “We perform western and African choral music, authentically in each style, while nurturing and empowering young talents,” he said.
The choir’s 50th celebration, for him, means legacy, as they recognise the platform and opportunities afforded to them by those that came before. A legacy of well-rounded beings rooted in choral excellence as they shared in the camaraderie and celebrated the gift of music.
Mondlane sees the last five decades as a testament of how much we need each other, and how much we need music. The celebration will further prove this as it will showcase generations of the UJ, formerly RAU, Choir unifying in the power that is music. Lifelong friendships and connections were born from this community, and will continue to be, well into the next 5 decades.
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