Echoes of Home
Review
By Benevolence Mazhinji
The Music Society of Makhanda presented their final concert of the year, Echoes of Home, on Wednesday evening at the Beethoven Room. The programme showcased a work by leading South African composer Paul Hanmer alongside original compositions by saxophonist Rick van Heerden and flautist Stacey van Schalkwyk, both of whom performed their pieces that night.
The music was reflective and deeply textured, exploring themes of memory, loss and building community. It revealed the emotional depth behind the compositions as well as the calibre of musical talent that is emerging in South Africa.
Among the most powerful and striking pieces performed that night was Stacey van Schalkwyk’s original work, The Quiet Dance of Vanishing Threads. She explained that the piece is dedicated to her late parents and was born from the moment she found herself packing up her mother’s belongings, standing in a room, looking at a box of familiar objects, yet feeling an unexpected distance from them. “It’s as if the memories fade at the edge of the box”, said van Schalkwyk. That realisation led her to understand that the clarity of a memory does not determine its truth or value, and that what remains is often the emotional residue rather than the details themselves. She said that this piece “is that journey from the box to letting go and just accepting that memories really just live in our emotions”.
This emotional journey was beautifully reflected in the music, as the piece began with a slow, searching melody that captured the initial sense of loss and uncertainty. However, as the instruments moved through moments of tension, the music resolved into a warm, peaceful sound which embodied the acceptance and her realisation about memories finding their place in our emotions.
The concert concluded with March to the Front, composed by Rick van Heerden. The music drew inspiration from the works of Kurt Weill, an early 20th-century composer known for his dramatic and political music. The piece was a satirical look at military conscription which Van Heerden described as a “burlesque romp”, meaning it approached its serious subject with humour, energy, and a bit of playful exaggeration. This was a bold piece which felt which felt instantly energising. This lively finale offered a brilliant contrast to the reflective mood of the earlier pieces, sending the audience home with a memorable, witty, and powerful statement that perfectly capped off an evening dedicated to South African musical depth and originality.
