“REQUIEM FOR SOLACE” BY KIM ANDRÉ ARNESEN
AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NATIONAL CONDUCTORS’ CONVENTION
On Friday 17 March 2023, VOX Cape Town was thrilled to present the exquisite Requiem for Solace by the Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen (b. 1980) as part of the opening ceremony of the first-ever South African National Conductors’ Convention in the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
For this 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. We were delighted that one of our singers, Megan Gardner, was selected as the soprano soloist for this work. To help transport the audience on this special musical journey, slides were displayed with translations of the choral texts, as well as evocative images of mountains and landscapes from in and around Cape Town. The recording is now available on YouTube!
The Choral Celebration Network Foundation was proud to introduce its first South African National Conductors’ Convention. This was hosted in Cape Town from 17–19 March 2023 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The aim of this first-ever South African National Conductors’ Convention, hosted by the UNESCO-partnered Choral Celebration Network Foundation, was to give a space to South African conductors who are thirsting for the opportunity for personal growth, a renewal of their vision, and a rethink on all that is choir in a post-Covid South Africa.
