By Frederick Philander WINDHOEK They are all mothers by day and by night they entertain audiences with their unique brand of classical music at basically any event they are contracted to appear. I am talking about the Swakopmund-based classical all-women ensemble, consisting of three highly qualified piano and violin players. Trio Feminale on Monday evening entertained a large audience in the courtyard of a newly opened village type of shopping centre in the capital. “We have been making music together for the past 30 months on a part-time basis as a hobby and formed the band that primarily focuses on light classical music. Presently we are expanding our repertoire to contemporary modern music such as Elton John, the Beatles as well as Andrew Lloyd Weber’s music, too,” said a proud Susan Kinghorn in a short press interlude on Monday evening. Presently the trio are focusing on traditional classics, salon music with a colourful mix of jazz-blues and folklore. The ensemble’s music is apparently in high demand especially among the many Namibian lodges. “We regularly perform at functions at the coast but more so at lodges that require our musical services. “Things are going so well we hope to bring out our first CD later this year. It will consist of a live music concert recorded some two years ago.” said Kinghorn, the mother of three children and a journalist at a coastal weekly newspaper. The band regularly performs at concerts, gala evenings, business launches and all other events that require their unique and outstanding musical prowess. Christiane Ast (pianist and saxophone) is actually the driving force behind Trio Feminale. She qualified at a classical music school in Munster, Germany and is now resident in Namibia since 2001. She and her colleague, Christa Lambrechts, run a music school at Swakopmund. Lambrechts is a music graduate of the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa and has been teaching the violin in the capital for a number of years before she and her family settled at the coast in 2002. Christa acts as music arranger for the band and plays the violin. Kinghorn, a born Namibian plays the violencello since the age of 11. She has been active on the Southern African music scene since the 1970s and takes care of most of the organizing of the ensemble. The classical band’s next performance is a gala evening on July 07 in Swakopmund.