VOX AT THE MZANZI CONDUCTORS’ CONVENTION
Every year since 2023, the Choral Celebration Network Foundation has hosted the Mzanzi Conductors’ Convention (MCC) in March at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. A host of presentations, masterclasses and concerts are led by international choral experts.
This year (2025), coinciding with our tenth birthday, we are delighted to be the ‘choir-in-residence’ at the MCC, which means that we will work closely with five young choral conductors from around the country as they hone their art with visiting mentors Markus Utz and Ernst Buscagne from Switzerland.
On Sunday 16 March at 12:30 PM, we will perform under the batons of these young conductors and you can hear how we sound under different hands! Come and be part of this interesting experience; you can book your tickets for the MCC’s Closing Showcase via Tixsa.
Watch our performance of the exquisite Requiem for Solace by the Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen that formed part of the opening ceremony of the first-ever South African National Conductors’ Convention (as it was then called) in the Cape Town International Convention Centre. For that performance, we teamed up with two other local choirs (Joyful Harmonies and Vivox Voices) under the baton of renowned South African choral conductor Renette Bouwer.
Presentation at the 2025 MCC by Kyle Paulssen
‘From Sound to Spectacle: Transforming Choral Concerts with Extra-Musical Elements’
In this era of modern technology, live choral concerts are not just competing with other musical performances but with many other forms of entertainment and engagement. From radio and television to games and cell phones, each becoming more interactive and expansive with further advancement, everything is becoming “bigger and better”! To attract new audiences as well as to keep existing patrons engaged, we as choral performers need to keep with the times to ensure sustainable audience development and retention.
For the past decade, our choral ensemble VOX Cape Town has tried to invigorate the local music scene with our multisensory, immersive choral experiences – from taking people on a voyage to the Northern Lights, to a journey across the rugged landscape of the Karoo, to our “ViniChoral” wine-and-music-pairings, to our “Flower Songs” within a botanical art exhibition. We have enjoyed great success, with the majority of our performances being sold out, and we have grown our audiences with many new and younger people coming to listen to what we do or wanting to join our choir.
As the manager and one of the creative forces behind VOX, I am going to highlight our holistic “Gesamtkunstwerk” approach to performances as well as the inspiration we take from other forms of entertainment, from theatre productions to theme parks, to augment our performances. I will also describe simple practical tips that you can use to improve your concert appeal for the next generation of concertgoers. From imaginative performance programming and elements of staging to poster design and artwork, to venue preparation and audience engagement – it does not have to be complicated or expensive, but it will give your concert just that little edge that will make people not want to miss it!
Presentation at the 2024 MCC by John Woodland
‘Seeding and Nurturing a Sustainable Choral Ecosystem: VOX Cape Town as a Case Study’
While the core of any choir is its singers, its “musical family” extends to a much larger community encompassing composers, instrumentalists, those who host and promote performances and, of course, the audience! Musicologist Christopher Small coined the term “musicking” to describe the process of bringing together the many aspects of a musical performance and the varied relationships that are established between the participants that contribute to that performance.
This talk will describe how VOX Cape Town, since its inception in 2015 and arguably the Mother’s City most active and versatile choral collective, has developed a sustainable choral ecosystem by fostering an engaged cohort of singers and a supportive audience, establishing collaborative relationships with composers and instrumentalists, and disseminating choral music widely through its recordings and on radio. VOX has primarily done this through its immersive, imaginative performances that span a range of musical styles and which have explored innovative concepts such as wine-and-music pairings and singing in the dark. Critically, these activities are underpinned by an inclusive sense of community which was keenly felt during the pandemic when regular in-person choral singing was not possible.
By drawing on the dozens of projects undertaken by VOX over the past decade, this talk will highlight lessons learnt along the way and offer tips for choirs who wish to build an engaged and loyal following of singers and supporters.
