The Marden Singers of Harare, Zimbabwe performed their traditional end-of-year extensive selection from Handel's Messiah recently. The first performance, on Friday 19 November 2010 was at Nazareth House. The second, on Saturday 20 November was held at Arundel School Chapel. As usual, the choir was rehearsed and conducted by Margot Dennis.
Soloists included Caro Colahan, Marie de Bruin, Nigel Hopkins, Roz Ribeiro and Shirley Warrington. The Harare Chamber Orchestra accompanied the singers. It consisted of Corado Trinci - first violin; Cabby Stirling - second violin and Mike Peto on viola. Phil Goodwin was on cello and Meg MacKenzie played timpani for the Arundel School Chapel performance. Carolyn Peto provided continuo.
Barend van der Westhuizen
Singing with the Marden singers for the first time was South African baritone Barend van der Westhuizen. Barend has appeared as a regular soloist with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, the University of Stellenbosch Symphony Orchestra and the Camerata Tinta Barocca Ensemble for several years. Since 2004, he has also frequently featured as a soloist in numerous oratorios and Lieder recitals performed in Cape Town and surrounds.
Barend is a cum laude graduate of Stellenbosch University with a BMusHons (Performance) degree. He is currently pursuing post graduate studies at Stellenbosch towards a MMusic (Performance) degree and was recently awarded the UNISA Performance Licentiate cum laude.
This year, he has already performed in Bach's St Matthew's Passion and St John's Passion, Mozart's Requiem and another performance of Handel's Messiah.
Tanaka Madyara
This 20-year-old tenor sang Handel's Messiah solos with the Marden Singers for the second time. Tanaka finished high school at Peterhouse Boys School in 2009. He has always enjoyed music but started vocal training with Margot Dennis in May 2008. Under her guidance he has got more involved in classical music. He has recently started taking piano lessons lessons and has had to move from grade 1 to grade 4 of the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music (RBRSM) in a matter of months in order to fulfill university entrance requirements. Before that he managed to study the theory of music up to grade 5, also in a few months.
Tanaka won four trophies at the 2009 Zimbabwean National Allied Arts Festivals (Eisteddfod). He plans to continue his musical studies at the Mid-Western State University in Texas, United States of America; starting in January 2011. He is learning the marimba (gourd-resonated xylophone) and the mbira so that he can showcase African music at his university. The mbira is the classic instrument of Zimbabwe. An entire musical genre has been developed around it.
Melody Mundawarara - Melody Mundawarara has always enjoyed creative pursuits. Her interests range from Art to Zoology. She is a keen researcher who is excited ...
