VOX POPS

On Friday 20 April 2018, VOX Cape Town invited the community to bundle up against the autumnal chill and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine as they hosted a fundraising performance at St Andrew’s Church, Newlands, in support of the church’s building project.

This was also a performance with a difference – we had invited our supporters to select the musical programme for the evening by voting for their favourite choral music online. With this in mind, the performance was titled “VOX Pops”, an abbreviation of the Latin expression “vox populi” which is defined as “a short, informal interview with members of the public, especially to canvas opinion”.

We received an excellent response to our online survey. In addition to the number of votes that each piece received, we also took into account their individual moods and characters as we balanced and blended the musical programme. Besides a host of early polyphonic music (Victoria, Palestrina, Tallis), motets from the 18th and 19th centuries (Mozart, Bruckner, Parry) and local compositions from closer to home (van Dijk, Prinsloo), special requests for music by Hildegard von Bingen, Eric Whitacre and a well-known folk song from the United States were also honoured.

Community involvement and outreach are core aspects of our musical and social vision. One way in which we can give back to our community is by supporting worthwhile initiatives such as the building project at St Andrew’s Church, Newlands. They are raising funds for “a new space that will enrich lives and forge bonds for generations to come”.

The envisaged community hall will provide “a space for peers to connect over coffee, a safe haven for teens to gather, a library to offer support and resources, a place for members to meet and work, a quiet place for reflection and a place of celebration”. All proceeds from VOX Pops went towards this important project which you can read more about here. By supporting our music, you are also making a tangible impact on the community. We acknowledge Revd Mark Long for the photo collage below.