Music Crossroads in choral competition
Music Crossroads Malawi (MCM) is running a music choral competition to revive choral music in the country.
Dubbed the choral revolution, the competition will comprise choral workshops and choral concert competition.
Gladson Msendera of MCM said during a three-day intensive workshop, participants will be trained in conducting, score analysis, composition and arrangement, sight reading and stage management.
“The choral revolution is a new concept that we have developed to revive the choral music sector in the music industry. Choral music is a fundamental part of music, personal as well as development and needs to be given much attention and adequate support both financially and materially.
“Most Malawians are naturally talented in singing and our cultural events such as weddings, religion as well funerals play a key role in nurturing these talents. However, lack of professional training opportunities has contributed and resulted in lack of exposure of such talents,” he said.
Among others, the choral revolution seeks to empower choral singing groups, provide a platform for choral music within Malawi and equip choristers with professional music skills as well as nurture natural talent into professional and desirable skills.
“The inception of the choral revolution initiative came into being in December last year when about 500 choristers from 14 choral groups from different denominations within Lilongwe benefitted from workshops in singing, choir conducting, sight reading and stage management.
“The final part of the revolution was the choral concert competition where participating choirs displayed skills acquired from the workshops and the best three choirs were awarded with recording deals,” added Msendera.
He said the 2016 choral revolution is targeting 20 singing groups nationwide.
It has been designed to benefit not less than 1 000 people directly and more than five million people indirectly through media and social interaction.
This year’s workshops will be conducted from Thursday to Saturday while the choral revolution competition will be conducted on December 3.
Choirs will be required to produce a song around the theme Moral Restoration.
The top choir will receive K500 000 and a CD and DVD recording deal whereas two runners up will each get K300 000 and K200 000, respectively, with each of them also getting a CD recording deal. n
