An exuberant late afternoon filled with soulful melodies, bright stages, and a pursuit for a greater cause took place on 11 May at the University of Pretoria’s Musaion. The event celebrated a legacy of choirs that represent diversity, and the first to open the stage was UP’s Health Sciences Choir.
Mpumelelo Manyathi conducted the choir and proudly said, “The choir is a mixture of future doctors and nurses who also heal us with music.” He was accompanied by Dr Andrea Kayser-Mitas as they set the tone for a joyful evening ahead. Many excellent performances followed, with the UP Onderstepoort Community Choir that was conducted by Edwin Mitas. He was also accompanied by the great Dr Kayser-Mitas.
The UP Youth Choir (UPYC) also graced the stage to not only perform for the evening, but to prepare for their upcoming international trip in December. On stage was Artistic Director Lhente-Mari Pitout, who shared that she has been with the choir for approximately 20 delightful years. She was also on stage with accompanist Morné van der Westhuizen.
UP’s very own Tuks Camerata took over the stage as the second last performance. They were conducted by Renette Bouwer with help from Assistant Conductor Hano van der Walt. Making a special feature were also Guest Conductor Bronwen Anderson, Accompanist Dr Andrea Kayser-Mitas, and Percussionists Samkelo Mdakane, Caleb Saks, and Mohau Tladi. Each performance was a display of musical sensitivity, blending intricate harmonies with emotive storytelling.
The evening was closed out by the UP Ovuwa Cultural Ensemble and the energetic, vibrant conductor Mxolisi Duda Manamela. Together, they lit up the stage with traditional songs and dances. This final set was a joyous, energetic celebration of South African and pan-African cultural traditions, delighting the audience with rhythm, harmony, and movement.
PDBY interviewed Herman Swanepoel, who has actively contributed to the UPYC community for over 12 years. When asked what the main theme of the event was, Swanepoel said, “The main theme every year is community, and as I said on stage, it is all connected. At the university, we have what we call the choir umbrella and how the Youth Choir feeds into all these different choirs and how they go from one community to a new community. So, it is all about building community through songs”. Swanepoel elaborated on the upcoming international competition. “We have been invited to take part in the Prague International Christmas Music Festival, which is also a choir competition, and we are flying on the 5th of December. We come back on the 15th, so we have about 11 days on the ground there in Europe. We start off our tour in Prague to take part in the competition and then from there, we are going to meet a lot of our choir friends and actually staying in their homes to get the proper European experience. If you want to help us get there, please go to UP Youth Choir and you can see a little bit more about the tour over there. There is a spot to donate.”
PDBY also had the opportunity to talk to a member of the UP Youth Choir, who excitedly said, “This December will be my first time traveling internationally. So, l am very excited.”
The evening was filled with joyful melodies, dancing, and a lot of heartwarming music from different choirs that all fall under the UP choir umbrella. The audience was up on their feet singing and dancing along with the choirs. The 2025 UP Choirs Concert was a delightful event, and next year’s is one to look forward to.
