Four universities have emerged tops in Varsity Sing, yielding some of the best choral performances along the way.
Following the final episode of the semi-finals on Thursday night, there were no surprises for the final four: the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Stellenbosch University (Maties), the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the University of Pretoria’s Tuks Camerata choir.
These four titans will go head-to-head next Thursday in what is expected to be a grueling 90-minute finale. There’s little indication of a clear winner, although Thursday night’s performance by NMMU showed they are going to be tough to beat.
The episode opened with the world-touring Maties choir performing a modern composition, Sleep My Child by Eric Whitacre. The performance showed the versatility of the choir, switching from their warrior-like rendition of Didn’t my Lord Deliver Daniel in the previous episode to this caressing lullaby.
Their voice blending was exceptional and the piece was arranged well to display their choral lines. It showed the softness of their sound. Competition judge Christo Burger said it was “Magnufique”. Guest judge Francois van Coke said he would like them to come sing for his baby.
Up next, they delivered a gospel medley in Zulu and Sotho. From their first cries of “Bayethe”, it signaled another change in their sound, to an upbeat tempo. RnB crooner and judge Loyiso Bala said it did sound like they were singing about God and that it sounded majestic.
Rhodes University might have been whipped out but they went out on a high, under the baton of Dr Andrew-John Bethke. Besides their performance of the Italian piece Matona Mia Cara, they proved local is lekker for their medley of local songs.
They sounded confident; a soloist stepped forward and led them through a call-and-response performance.
Their energy was up the whole time. Straight-talking judge Marvin Kernelle commented that they need more arrogance. NMMU blew audiences away with their Asimbonanga, and stepped up again this week with their performance of rock ballad classic Bohemian Rhapsody.
The arrangement was creative, drawing on whistling and wind noises to create a galactic feeling. It was a good mix of sounds and the group looked invested in their performance. The breakdown was phenomenal with members crowd-surfing, taking selfies and expressing self-esteem. They even squeezed in a high-note descant.
The judges felt otherwise. Bala said he felt like there was no lead singer and that the performance was too technical. “It needed a bit of life,” he said. Burger said it was his least favourite of their performances.
The University of the Western Cape rounded up the evening led by conductor Sibusiso Njeza with a big sound for a local composition. Van Coke said they had an amazing attitude and that their performance felt like a “South African party”.
Tune in next week, for the live final, to find out which choir is crowned Varsity Sing champions for 2016.
By Wendyl Martin, Weekend Argus
