The Dream, The Hope - a concert

South African baritone Njabuo Madlala (recently seen as Aeneas to Susan Bickley's Dido at the Wimbledon Music Festival) is singing in a concert on Friday 23 November at St James's Church, Piccadilly. The concert is in aid of the Amazwi Omzansi Africa National Opera Singing Competition 2013.

Performers also include guitarist Ahmed Dickinson Cardonas, pianists William Vann, Ben Schoeman and Neal Thornton and band. The programme includes a South African Songbook, American Spirituals, Schubert, Schumann and Duparc. And if we are lucky, Madlala will throw in one of his entrancing performances of songs from his native country.


'inspiring the next generation of South African musicians and opera stars'.  

Amazwi Omzansi Africa or Voices of South Africa project is a musician / singers education initiative that connects young talented people of South Africa with leading artists in the music field from around the world. The initiative is artists driven by both artists at home and abroad.  The main goal is to provide young gifted South African artists with an avenue for personal and professional development by offering opportunities to showcase their abilities, the best of which will be selected for ongoing support by the organisation. The project aims to support local, national and international collaborations. The main focus is on education, training and mentoring.

Further information from the webpage on GlobalAfricans.net (which includes links to a talk on the project by Njabula Madlala) and from the festival website.

More information on the concert from the St James's Piccadilly website.

Elsewhere on this blog:

• Gossip and Rebellion - the premiere of Carmen
• Mark Padmore at the Wimbledon Music Festival
• Waghalter violin concerto at Cadogan Hall
• Pilgrim's Progress at the London Coliseum
• Coverage of Brighton Early Music Festival