By BRUCE DENNILL
Ndlovu Youth Choir / Produced by Ralf Schmitt / Teatro, Montecasino, Fourways, Johannesburg
The last few years have included a lot for the youngsters in the Ndlovu Youth Choir, including multiple international tours, performing in front of a range of global celebrities and audiences of all kinds, and being exposed to a world beyond what most artists from major world capitals will never be exposed to – and all of this experienced by singers from a small village in rural Limpopo (a context explored and celebrated in a mid-show video sequence that also introduces the choristers).
Among all of this going on, one of the trademark facets of the choir – or at least what is observed in its performance style – is a down-to-earth authenticity that is increasingly rare and undervalued in the average globetrotting entertainment act.
Another trademark of this collective is their energy. Along with the vocal arrangements, the singers need to handle more or less constant choreography, not extensive in terms of the range of movement needed, but precise, rhythmic and synchronised to an impressive degree – particularly so when soloists leave and then return to the ranks without obviously breaking step. It quickly becomes clear that an extraordinary level of fitness is needed to maintain the intensity of the show, and more than that, that the discipline choir leader Ralf Schmitt has instilled in his charges does and will continue to enable them to sustain such a level – and all of this with wide smiles on their faces throughout.
On the most obvious point on which to judge a choir – the vocals – the Ndlovu Youth Choir deliver beautifully in English, Zulu and, in an exceptional rendition of Nessun Dorma, in Italian. They have added new songs to the repertoire, including a complex Zulu arrangement of Bohemian Rhapsody, a South African medley that includes Kaptein (add Afrikaans to the language list) and a version of What A Wonderful World performed with sign language and a heavily accentuated bass track that can be felt in the auditorium by Deaf or hard of hearing audience members. It’s difficult to tell how effective the latter is, but the effort being made at all is already a notable stance not even considered by most artists. There is also a fun video segment that drives audience involvement and an improvised new song developed by the three-piece onstage band, Schmitt and the crowd.
Given the natural talent involved in all of the above, the sound of extra tracks in the mix – useful in guaranteeing consistency and filling out the acoustic sounds of the voices – is a slight niggle for the purist observer, and it also adds to the complexities of mixing for a big room, meaning that, where there are, for instance, massed soprano passages, the notes can get eye-wateringly penetrating for a second or two.
But as a whole, the choir delivers a package comprising high-end musical ability, effortless rhythm, strong arrangements of excellent songs and a sense of joy that permeates the auditorium. It’s an effective, enjoyable cocktail.