O.R Tambo Choral Music Festival: A Celebration Through Music
The Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture hosted the 20th edition of the O.R Tambo Choral Music Festival in East London on the 28th of October.
In celebrating the life and legacy of O.R Tambo, 27 choirs battled for the number one spot. The music festival forms part of the department’s plan to develop choral music in the province.
The festival, which has been named after the country’s struggle stalwart, Oliver Reginald Tambo, is aimed at preserving his legacy. Tambo’s love for choral music is well documented as he was a song writer, a choir conductor and member of the St Peters’ Junior Secondary school choir during his schooling years.
The choirs that participated included Matthews Singers and Butterworth Services Choir. These choirs have lifted the Eastern Cape choral music flag high and have won prestigious awards and prizes on national stages.
The department hosted the festival in partnership with the two music associations of the province, namely Guild of Choral Indigenous Music Practitioners in Eastern Cape (GCIMP-EC) and Eastern Cape Choral Music Association (ECCMA).