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spirit lives, thinks and invents.” — Ludwig van Beethoven.
“Music does bring people together. It allows us to experience the same emotions. People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit. No matter what language we speak, what colour we are, the form of our politics or the expression of our love and our faith, music proves: We are the same.” — John Denver.
The above quotes aptly describe the power that music has on people and unifying communities.
Unifying communities through music is the theme of this year’s choral competitions that will be held next Saturday at the Celebration Centre in Harare.
Sponsored by First Mutual Life, the competition will bring together a number of choral groups from across Zimbabwe.
More often than not, a lot of effort is put in producing choral music which may not be recognised and this competition is really about promoting and appreciating this genre of music and the role it plays in our respective churches and communities.
The initiative was an open invitation to all churches with no restrictions as the main goal was to bring the community together for a celebration of choral music.
The response has been overwhelming with 53 choirs from the Methodist Church of Zimbabwe, Dutch Reformed Church, AFM and Salvation Army among others, expected to take part.
A choir is indeed a true example of a unified people as each member plays a critical role in ensuring that the desired result and sound is achieved irrespective of personal feelings and preferences.
Each member in the choir comes in with a different background and understanding, but that is all put away by the choir master, who has to groom the whole lot and create uniformity within the group.
They have to take up a strategic position either as a soprano, alto, tenor or bass in order to create the sound of unity.
The basic elements that make music are rhythm, melody and harmony and each member will put their effort in making sure that they are in agreement in these areas.
One thing that I have often noticed about the make-up of many choirs is that not all members have great voices, but have gone through rigorous training and many practice sessions. Those of a weaker ability seem to find strength in the numbers and naturally develop their music sense.
The beauty of music forces everyone to pull their weight in making sure that there is no ounce of discord.
Try making individuals sing alone and you will see what I mean.
In life we need one another in order for our communities to grow healthy and stronger and, of course, for us to be a great nation.
If David played the harp such that the evil thoughts that the king had would leave, imagine what great impact would have been made if more singers joined their talents, spirit, soul and message for the same purpose.
Well, having said all that I know for a fact that choirs are getting their acts polished for this prestigious show- case which seeks to promote and celebrate the beauty of choral music in Zimbabwe.
These are some areas that you may need to look at as you put the pieces together and these are usually the areas you will be rated against.
Appearance, as they say you don’t have a second chance to make a first impression, so work on your attire, posture and general arrangement.
Remember the first few moments the adjudicators are looking at that and so don’t just worry about the set piece, make the best first impression.
Balance of voices is important as it contributes to the general harmony and timbre of the song.
Develop a relationship between the conductor and the choir as this goes into defining dynamics and interpretation, tempo and the mood throughout your performance.
Another area to work on is diction and phraseology (pronunciation, clarity and breathing in correct places).
I believe that there are many ways of singing the same song but at the end of the day someone’s way will be preferred as the best and so let it be.

l Richard Kohola is a music critic and development expert and can be contacted on the following number 077 2 382 871 or email [email protected]