The Choral Imperative

Authors: Mollie Stone, Patty Cuyler

This is the first in a series of South African choral music teaching DVDs with accompanying book of resources, intended for mixed, youth and children's choirs. The four-part traditional South African choral songs in this collection were especially chosen for their adaptability for three-part treble choir.

Included on the disc are pronunciation tracks, teaching video for the voice parts and the dance movements, and both SATB and treble choir performances for each of the songs. The DVD features 50 singers aged 8-18 from Chicago Children's Choir and Matlakala Bopape, director of the Polokwane Chorale in Limpopo Province, South Africa, under the direction of Mollie Stone and Patty Cuyler.

The accompanying resource book includes tips for learning, teaching and performing traditional South African choral music, a guide to pronunciation, texts with translations and IPA symbols, background information about the songs, and suggestions for adapting the songs for different ensembles, as well as a short history of South African choral music.

Songlist:

• Mrs Galo (Xhosa folk song)
• Mmamoshimane (Sotho wedding song)
• Modimo rea go boka (Sotho church chorus)
• Njengebhadi libhadula (Xhosa folk song)
• Koloi ya Eliya (Sotho folk song/church chorus)
• Ndandihleli (Xhosa folk song)