South African Choral Music (Amakwaya): Song, Contest and the ...

242 Competition: Performance, Meaning and Motivation
Figure 9.4: St. Mary's AME Choir, NCF, Cape Town, December 2000
9.3 The Lived Experience: Exploring the Importance of Competition
Competition... here we are showing our culture,
values and norms. 20
''We are number one!" chants Thulani Mzobe of the Durban Serenade Choral Society as he and his
fellow choristers storm the stage in a celebration of their victory.21 Again, Chris MWongo, Chairman
of the Durban-based choral association, Imvunge, is delighted because once again a choir
from his stable has made it to the top. "It was for a moment like rising with the Good Hope Centre
and floating around the world". Still in disbelief about what has happened in the past minutes, singers
in other choirs hang their heads in disappointment. It is Sunday afternoon at Cape Town's Good
Hope Centre. The last choir has just left the stage, enabling the adjudicators to deliver their comments
and announce the winning choirs of the 23 rd Old Mutual/Telkom National Choir Festival.
This is what the twenty-two contesting choirs have incessantly worked towards during the past
twelve months. "I can't believe that the Sirnon Estes Choral Group did it again. That is already the
third time this choir has beaten us!" says Ephrairn Leotwane, a twenty-eight year old bass of the
Gauteng Choristers. Although he is convinced that "most of the choirs are looking for Gauteng
Choristers because we are really good", he admits that "we have to work harder to win next year".
In looking for an explanation for the decision of the adjudicators, he asks his fellow choristers:
''What happened today with our soloists?"
This incident, which I witnessed in Cape Town, in December 2000, is a familiar one at many
competitions. "There is only one winner - and this winner takes it all", commented Sidwell
Mhlongo, Conductor of the Gauteng Choristers, when I congratulated him on achieving second
20 Xolani Cele, lmizwilili Choral Society, questionnaire Cape Town NCF, December 03,2000.
21 The following quotations were recorded during the 23 rd NCF Finals held at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town
(December 03, 2000).