A Grahamstown church choir won two trophies at a recent provincial music competition, at the St John's Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa in Machibini Village, Queenstown.
Participating were the church's choirs from Grahamstown, Dimbaza, Motherwell, Queenstown, Port Alfred, Qoboqobo and Keiskamma Hoek and the proceedings were directed by Reverend Vuyani Mkutswana.
A Grahamstown church choir won two trophies at a recent provincial music competition, at the St John's Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa in Machibini Village, Queenstown.
Participating were the church's choirs from Grahamstown, Dimbaza, Motherwell, Queenstown, Port Alfred, Qoboqobo and Keiskamma Hoek and the proceedings were directed by Reverend Vuyani Mkutswana.
The church's bishop, Lady Mthini, congratulated the contestants and thanked the audience for their support. Mthini said: “I don't want those who are not going to win to feel ashamed, but the truth is, not all of us can win the nine trophies.
“After the results are announced, I want to see all of us rejoicing, no matter who wins.” The Grahamstown choir, which is conducted by Siphiwo Mthini collected two trophies at the competition, winning the Western section of the competition and being runners-up in the vernacular section.
“Every award is an acknowledgement of our hard work,” said Mthini. “Only those who work hard achieve something.”
Mpumelelo Magquntulu, one of the competition's three adjudicators and a seasoned chorister with the Grahamstown-based Abancedisi Choir, explained the criteria on which the choirs were judged.
The participants had to be energetic, he said, because a music competition was not like a funeral. Therefore, it had to entertain.
“Stage appearance is the most important thing in music and the first step of the accompanying actions should be powerful,” Magquntulu said.
