A Namibian- German intercultural choir project known as the Carmina Burana and Africana will bring together in Windhoek and Swakopmund the popular sounds of Carl Orff with the moving melodies of Namibian traditional music on March 16 and 21.
Engelhardt Unaeb, is the conductor of the Amdi !Khoen Choir from Windhoek and will be leading the Namibian team which will also comprise of Swakopmund-based Mascata Youth Choir. Ninety six singers, instrumentalists and soloists from Germany and around the same number of Namibian singers and instrumentalists will take the stage during the first concert in Windhoek at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN). Here follows an interview with Engelhardt who was in Germany last month courtesy of the Text Kultur & Kommunikation (Ralf Neite) in Hildesheim in Germany via the German Embassy in Windhoek. Engelhardt was in Germany where he met with the German Sing Akademie, the initiator and developer of the project for a practice weekend.
Mr. Unaeb, Why do you engage in this project?
First and foremost, I wanted to expose my choir to classical music and participating in big works of classical composers. This is the best way to improve our musical skills. We mostly do Namibian music and this was the perfect opportunity also to make new friends and break cultural boundaries through music.
Mr. Unaeb, you have been in Germany for ten days. What experiences did you gain?
The SingAkademie choir whom I taught the Namibian music to was very appreciative and participatory during the workshops and were eager to ask questions about the songs and Namibia as well. This made it a great and heartfelt experience. It was awesome to learn more about the culture of Germany through the many talks I had with Mr Heinke.
Mr. Unaeb, you are responsible for the Namibian-African part of the concert programme. What kind of music do you contribute?
As it was proposed, I had to seek music that can fit with the three themes of Carmina Burana. After searching and getting a few Namibian folk songs, I had to compose one song to fit in with the Spring theme since it was a little difficult to find music about spring in the indigenous languages.
Mr. Unaeb, what expectations do you have of this project?
It is a big project since we have more or less 200 participants who will be on the stage when performing. This is a big undertaking by Wendula Dahle, Claus-Ulrich and Heidrun Heinke of the SingAkademie Hildesheim, not to forget the Goethe Centre in Windhoek through Ruth Suermann and the Directorate of Arts through the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, to steer and organise this project to success and I have no doubt that it will be a success.
And what about the cooperation with the German conductor Claus-Ulrich Heinke?
Heinke is a pleasurable person to work with. He is very sensitive to the people’s needs he works with and takes great care when handling them. He is always available to help whenever he can, even if he has to do it at three O’clock in the morning. I think this is just the beginning of a great friendship and partnership.