WINDHOEK– Altogether N$70,000 is for winning in the finals of the Joyful Sounds Choir Competition which take place tonight at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) tonight here.
The winning choir goes home with N$ 40, 000, runners up with 20, 000 and the third placed choir N$ 10,000.
The three finalists are the Big K’s, the Adoration Choir and the wild card choir the Okahandja Youth Choir.
The ‘hosts’ for the evening are Esme Katjikuru, herself a Gospel artist of repute, and well-known radio and tv presenter as well as reputable MC, Uejaa Kazondunge. The show, featuring which has emerged as the country foremost choral acts after weeks of suspense beginning in end of September when the knockout stages begun.
Auditions conducted in August and September ‘filtered’ out twelve choirs who competed on September 28, October 5 and 12 and November 2 in the semi finals. At this stage three had the daunting task of stepping and demonstrating their musical prowess: The Massive Choir, the Poly Choir and Vessel of Honour. Six choirs made it to the semis – of which three, Soli Deo Gloria, Poly Choir and the Big ‘K’s demonstrated their skills in remarkable fashion last on Sunday November 9. The Big ‘K’s really lived up to their name and came through as winners – and by quite a margin. The subsequent weeked, November 16, Adoration, Okahandja Youth Choir and the Christian Assemblies featured in the last semi final with Adoration emerging the winner.
Tickets are available at Computicket outlets country-wide and at the NTN at N$ 100. Note that doors for the finals open at seven O’clock (19H00) and the show starts at eight O’clock (20H00). The Joyful Sounds Choir Competition is a festival of Namibian choirs that combine vocal choral with instrumental music i.e. which are being accompanied by a band or musicians playing individual musical instruments. Price moneys of N$ 40 000 (first Price), N$ 20 000 (second price) and N$ 10 000 (third price) are ‘up for grabs’.The partners and proud sponsors over the current project phase are Vigo, the FNB Foundation, The National Theatre of Namibia and the NBC. The Joyful Sounds project is being managed by the Namibia Gospel Music Trust. An underlying motivation is to pro-actively influence the youth to apply restraint when it comes to use of drugs and alcohol.
By Regina Simasiku