Poly wins first round of choir competition

The winner of the first round of the Joyful Sounds Choir Competition was identified on Sunday at the end of the first knockout round. The Joyful Sounds knockout stages will run until November 2. The Polytechnic of Namibia choir, led by conductor Michael Kisting, excelled and made its mark as a potential contender for the first three prices and, quite evidently, is a choir that will go a long way. The three judges, Sharon Van Rooy, William Petersen and Dennis Eiseb, had an enormous task at hand as the two other competitors, the Massive Choir, led by Ivan Tjitjo, and the RMI Worship Team, gave their utmost best. This Sunday will see the Salvation Choir, formed in 1993 and with two CDs to its name, ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Hosanna’, and the Soli Deo Gloria Choir, a choir with a history stretching back all the way to pre-independence Namibia, battle it out. The Soli Deo Gloria choir claims to have 23 branches nationwide. The third contenders are the Christian Assemblies. The Joyful Sounds Choir Competition is sponsored by Vigo and the FNB Foundation. It is the first competition of its kind that challenges Namibian choirs both in terms of their choral prowess and their ability to reinforce choral work with a tight musical band – or, at least, through inclusion of harmonic and non-harmonic musical instruments. Tickets cost N$60 throughout the knockout stage and are available at Computicket outlets and at the National Theatre of Namibia. Doors open at 18:00 and the show starts at 19:00. The next round takes place at the National Theatre of Namibia on Sunday, October 5. WINDHOEK STAFF REPORTER