The Sunday Mail
Priscilla Kamurira
A Zimbabwean choir, Glorious Melodies, scooped two gold medals and the Most Popular Choir award at the fourth Heart of Chorus International Choral Festival and Competition recently held in Shanghai, China.
The festival was held from May 19 to 28.
It brought several countries together, among them Kazakhstan, Russia, Germany, Philippines, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe and the host China,
In an interview with The Sunday Mail Society, Glorious Melodies’ spokesperson, Bonny Kanyenze said the group got their first gold award after mixing out a collection of four songs titled “Majaira”, “Tsvimborume Dzinobayana”, “Chingungunde” and “Paruzevha”.
“We arrived on the 19th of May and were received by two lovely ladies — Elinor and Emily. They were our tour guides as well as interpreters.
“In the folklore category in which our group got a gold medal, we wowed the jury and drew enormous applause after churning out a collection of four songs,” he said.
Kanyenze narrated how they charmed everyone, including the hosts, by singing a Chinese song.
“Our folklore medley also included ‘Shosholoza’, an African contemporary chorus. At the end of the ceremony, the choir sang a Chinese piece ‘Wohe wodu zu guo’, in the mass choir,” he said.
Kanyenze said the choir toured the Chinese Art Institute, where they learnt different forms of Chinese art and interacted with participants from other countries.
“We wrapped up our exploits with a Show Choirs competition at the Feng Xian Party Institute, where we scooped a gold award again.”
The choir’s triumphs earned them the “Most Popular Choir Trophy”, which was presented on the 24th at the Golden Awards concert and opening ceremony of Oriental Beauty Arts Festival at the Feng Xian Conference Hall.
The choir also went to Nan Jing in Jiangsu province, where they performed at the opening ceremony of the Jiangsu Zijin Choir Festival.
“We had the final performance concert in Suzhou. The choir shared the stage with the famous Grammy award-winning King’s Voice Quartet from the UK. Our choir was a marvel and spectacle to watch, with many people asking for photographs with the members,” he said.
Glorious Melodies is scheduled to be part of the 12th edition of the International Choral Festival Orientale Concentus set for July 29 to August 1 in Singapore.
The 41-member travelling party boasts of phenomenal choristers, instrumentalists and choreographers.
The choir is a registered membership driven community and welfare trust based in Chitungwiza and Harare, with a membership of about 100 people aged 16 years and above.
