We're going on tour with André Rieu and so looking forward to it!

Andre Rieu, the world`s most successful male touring artist of 2009, is known as the `King of Waltz` and for his ability to make classical music accessible to all and encouraging audiences to get out of their seats and waltz in the aisles.

The concerts will be in the Sun City Superbowl (23-27 April 2010), a single night at the Durban ICC (28 April) and the tour finishes in Cape Town at the Grand Arena at GrandWest Casino (01-03 May 2010)

We look forward to seeing you in the audience!

Looking at the group boarding the bus, we started the journey with apprehension.  Half of the 46 children were going on tour for the first time, a quarter younger than 12 years.  The bus did not have a microphone, therefore the lectures on what to do and not to, were to be left for the bustling airport, quite a difficult task!

Our choir members had the privilege of staying with Swedish families at their homes.  For some it was a challenging encounter, nevertheless, something to remember for the rest of their lives.  Most of them had to make use of public transport to get to school every day.  We had lunch at the Adolf Frederiks Musikklasser daily, consisting of at least three different salads, soup/stew, vegetarian option, milk, etc.  The Swedish children have a meal like this every day at school, free of charge.

Let the Future Sing - We are going to Sweden

The Adolf Fredrick Music School in Sweden has invited our choir, along with nine other choirs from all over the globe, to join them in the celebration of their 70th birthday.  Choirs will exchange cultures, songs and will join together in harmony.  The Festivities comments on the 27th of May and will draw to a close on the 4th of June.  "Let the Future Sing" is the theme.  The members also will have the priveledge of staying with Swedish families - this will ensure a close bond between the members of the various choirs and their host families.

For more information, visit: www.letthefuturesing.com

Journey to the sea

28 Nov - 1 Dec 2008

Believe it or not, but the choir went to PE, not by car, not by bus, but by train! This tour was a bit different than the usual tours: we did not sing one time, or atleast not at a concert.

Knowing that trains can be late at times we were more or less prepared to wait, and wait and wait. The train finally arrived three hours later than the expected time. We boardered the train with excitement, the sea was our destination. Playing games, taking funny photo's and just having fun helped to make the time fly.

On the fourth of August a group of choir members, of whom the majority were inexperienced, undertook the long journey to the Song Bridge in Japan Long it really was: from the time we departed from Bloemfontein till we arrived at ou base in Japan took 41 hours.

The stopover in Doha, Qatar, was a novel experience for the choir. It was swelteringly HOT, about 40C and very humid. Observant as our children are, they soon asked why there weren no women seen in public. The few female employees we did not encounter in the hotel and at the airport were foreigners! The culture of women who remain at home and have no social standing is strange to us. Men pushed some of us aside to board the hotel shuttle ahead of us and stacked their luggage on the seats so that the children had to pile on top of each other to be able to remain on board. However, delicious hotel meals compensated for this.

Die Boemfonteinse Kinderkoor, onder leiding van me. Huibrie Verster, is na 'n uitsonderlike koorgeleenthied in Wakayama in Japan in Augustus 2008 genooi. Hulle is een van vier internasionale kore wat die Song Bridge-gebeurtenis daar gaan bywoon.

Song Bridge is een van die opwindendste konsepte in die internasionale wêreld van koormusiek. Dit het in 2000 as deel van Unesco se Music and Peace-program beslag gekry. Dit verenig vooraanstaande jeugkore en koorkomponiste van oor die wêreld heen met die oog daarop om wêreldvrede en verhoudinge te bevorder.

Die Song Bridge-kore word deur 'n internasionale jurie gekies en kom vir 4-5 dae bymekaar op 'n wêreld-koorsimposium. Hier kry die jong koorlede van oor die wêreld heen die geleenthied om in 'n gemeenskap saam te werk, te speel en te leef. Hulle leer van mekaar se kulture en musiek, bou vriendskappe en wedersydse respek en nà 'n paar dae se intensiewe oefening, stel hulle hul eie kultuur se musiek en komposisies ten toon.

 Om dié wonderlike geleentheid egter moontlik te maak, benodig die koor altesaam R400 000 vir die 45 mense wat genooi is.

Uittreksel uit Volksblad Vrydag 22 Februarie 2008