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The Daily Tar Heel

From Africa to UNC, choir brings energy

The Soweto Gospel Choir energetically performed song and dance at Memorial Hall on Sunday.  DTH/Gladys Manzur
The Soweto Gospel Choir energetically performed song and dance at Memorial Hall on Sunday. DTH/Gladys Manzur

A single, piercing note split the silence to start Sunday night’s show, setting the stage for a high-energy and emotional performance from the Soweto Gospel Choir.

The South African choir, composed of about 25 members who sing and dance, performed a program of traditional African songs, Christian spirituals and contemporary pieces.

Members of the choir performed in brightly colored costumes, with a costume change during the show’s intermission.

Though many of the faster songs had audiences clapping along or tapping their toes, the stand-outs of the night were the tightly knit harmonies of some of the a cappella numbers.

The fourth and fifth songs of the evening, “Ngahlulele” and “Mangisondele Nkosi Yam,” were particularly powerful. For the fourth song, only the women sang, standing in a straight line at the front of the stage, their quiet intensity matching their emotion-laden vocals.

Throughout the performance, the rich, deep tones of the basses were matched by the clear, bright vocals from the soprano soloists.

After a series of traditional songs, the choir performed more modern music, focusing on songs that “speak to the soul,” as one group member put it.

Audiences recognized the familiar tones of Bob Marley’s “One Love” and Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” For both songs, the choir brought a sort of stadium-filling sound that complemented the original recordings while still creating a unique take on the material.

Though many groups have performed their own take on “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” this performance presented the song at its best.

In addition to the vocal stylings, each song was presented with some dancing, ranging from simply swaying with the beat to having a high-kicking competition in the middle of the stage.

For some pieces, the music was upstaged by the dancing, as the audience found itself watching the movements of the colorful garments.

Some songs were performed with accompaniment from drums and guitar, and the guitar at times overpowered the soloist’s vocals.

The performers were excellent showmen and women, executing dances, songs, stage exits and passings of the mic seamlessly. Long after the show, audiences could hear the beat of the drums and the raising of voices in song.

Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.

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