Video: Competition performance at WGC - Scenic Folklore

The Kearsney Choir achieved 87.5%, which earned them a gold medal.

Champions Concert from 13 July on Latvian tv archive

The World Choir Games Champions' Concert took place yesterday evening. Footage of the concert is available on this link. The concert is an hour and a half and the Kearsney Choir is up near the end.

Remember next Tuesday evening , 22 July, the Choir will perform their Scenic Pop set during the SYNERGY! Concert at Kearsney. Synergy is a respected show choir (in the style of GLEE) from the USA. Booking is through Computicket.

Blog Entry: 14 July Riga, Latvia

We left the hotel at 06:00 am this morning to go to the airport for our 09:00 am flight to Amsterdam. The boys are still busy checking in, while others are waiting at the boarding gate. All our boys are really tired at this stage - most of them are just quietly sitting, playing on their phones or having a catnap on the chairs outside the boarding gate. There is a general subdued atmosphere in the air. This tour has been exhausting and they are all ready to go home for a few days of well-deserved rest. Unfortunately it is still quite a while before that will happen. 

We have a two hour flight to Amsterdam now, and then another seven hour flight to Dubai. We land in Dubai tonight at 24:00 and then we have a ten hour stop-over there. Luckily Emirates have arranged for us to check into a hotel at the airport to shower and get a few hours of sleep before we board our final homeward bound flight to Durban tomorrow at 10:25. We will arrive at Ushaka International Airport tomorrow 15 July at 16:45.

This is the final blog of our 2014 tour. It has been an awesome experience for everyone and the boys have all made wonderful memories, but we are all looking forward to sleeping in our own beds again! See you in Durban!

Blog Entry: 13 July

I am writing a quick update here from Riga as the boys are performing at the Champions Concert now at 16:00, and then we have to dash off to the Closing Concert at 19:00 which is quite a drive away from the city centre. The boys had an early start today - they had to have breakfast between 06:30 and 07:30 am. We left the hotel at 07:45 to go to Arena Riga for the second Awards ceremony which started at 09:00 am. The boys' spirits were still a bit low after yesterday evening's Folklore results, but they were getting more and more excited for the announcement of the Scenic Pop results.

The Arena Riga was once again packed with choirs from all over the world and their was an electric vibe of anticipation in the air. The Scenic Pop category was announced near the end of the ceremony. As hoped, our name was not read out until the instrumental fanfare sounded which indicated that the name of the next announcement is the champion of the category. Our boys won with an astounding 96%, a whopping 7% more than the choir who came second. This is a record mark for Kearsney!

As soon as our name was read out, the boys shot up from their seats, loud cheers of overwhelming joy and relief filling the arena. They ran out into the isles and burst onto the stage with Chef right behind them. It was a very special moment to see the boys on that stage, proudly singing our national anthem as our country's flag was raised. Words cannot accurately describe the feelings of utter joy and amazement one experiences at a moment like this. I am sure that the boys will never forget this moment and feel sincerely blessed for being part of this truly wondrous experience.

After the ceremony, the boys all gathered outside the arena, where they sang songs, cheered, hugged and high-fived one another and just reveled in the magic of this moment towards which they have worked so hard. Chef also spoke to them and told them how extremely proud he is of them and how blessed and lucky he feels to work with such a dedicated, tenacious and passionate group of young men.

The boys went directly to the catering center for lunch after this. This was our last meal here, and the boys were served a meal of rice, potatoes, barbeque chicken breast and a carrot salad. They all seemed to enjoy the meal - either that or they were just so overcome with joy that they did not really pay attention to what they were eating. :)

We left the catering center at about 12:45 am and arrived back at our hotel at 13:15. All choirs who are champions in a category take part in the Champions Concert, which started at 15:00. So the boys were then given some free time and to do some final shopping. They had to be ready and dressed in their Scenic Pop uniform at 14:30 to got to the Riga Congress Centre for the Champions Concert.

It is now almost 16:00 and I am typing this while waiting for our boys to perform - no doubt they are last on the programme to conclude the concert with a bang!

After the concert, the boys will go to the hotel to quickly change into their Folklore uniform because they are one of only a handful of chosen choirs to perform at tonight's Closing Concert at Mezaparks. We must be at Mezaparks at 19:00 for a sound check.

Mezaparks is a giant open-air stadium and our choir is performing Shosholoza at the request of the World Choir Games committee. They are the only South-African choir performing. This concert starts at 21:00, and the boys will only have time to have dinner afterwards. It is going to be long night for them and they are bound to be blissfully exhausted as their heads hit their pillows tonight!

Tonight is our last night in Riga - we leave the hotel at 06:00 tomorrow morning for our connecting flight to Amsterdam at 09:00.

Will send another update soonest.

Album: Announcement of Champion of Scenic Pop category 13 July

Link to album for Android and Apple users.

Video: Announcement of Champion of Scenic Pop

World Champions again!

Fantastic news from the World Choir Games in Latvia. Our choir earned gold and achieved Champion status in the Scenic Pop category! They score a fabulous 96%. Wow boys! What a great achievement. World champions! The feeling must be euphoric. The boys have now achieved gold in each of their three categories.

We are so proud. More news and photographs soon.

Champions! Scenic Pop. Gold medals all round.

Album: 12 July World Choir Games - Riga, Latvia

You will see clearly for the photographs from yesterday what an amazingly exciting and emotional day it was. the boys competed in the Scenic Pop category and were thrilled with their performance and the audience response. They went on to give a workshop (a cultural showcase) together with Bernard Kruger - "Voices and drums - a celebration of song, rhythm and movement.

In the evening there was the awards ceremony for Young Male Choirs and Scenic Folklore (among others).
Our boys achieved a gold in both categories! Wow two out of two. Fantastic boys.

Thanks once again to Mrs Kerry-Jane Coleman for stunning photographs.





Link to album for Android and Apple users.

Blog post: 12 July Riga

Another Competition day – Scenic Pop at 11h30. The boys had an early start this morning – they had to be down for breakfast at 07h30. After breakfast they had a rehearsal just outside our hotel from 08h00 to 10h00. We left the hotel at 10h15 for the Riga Congress Centre where the boys were to perform second on the program in the Scenic Pop category. 

The boys were all very excited for this competition – Pop music is after all one of our choir’s strong points and favourites to perform. They were in very high spirits as we got on the tram and could not help themselves from bursting into some psyche-up songs.

The hall was packed with audience members eager to be entertained by some fresh pop music – this is obviously a very popular category.  In the Pop category, the acoustic rehearsals happen just before the performance.  The boys received loud cheers and applause from the audience during this rehearsal.

From the first moment that our boys walked onstage, the air was electric. The boys’ performance had the whole audience on their feet after the first song. There were many female fans in the audience, which off course just spurred our boys on even more to give the performance of a lifetime! 

They did a really superb job and executed a nearly flawless performance.  The jury members were recording everything with their phones and were some of the first people to jump tot heir feet after the last song. After the performance, media teams descended upon the boys - interviewing them, taking photos and videoing them singing Kearsney war cries. The boys felt good about today’s performance and Chef shared their sentiments, giving them 9 and a half - a job extremely well done!

After their performance, the boys had a quick lunch at 12h30 of bolognaise tagliatelle at Chili Pika, an Italian restaurant close to our hotel.  We had a choir workshop from 14h00 to 15h00 at the Latvian Cultural Cociety Hall, where the boys assisted Chef in introducing the audience to African music. After the workshop, the boys hade some free time to explore or rest and had to be showered, dressed and ready to leave the hotel at 17h00 to go for supper at the World Choir Games catering centre before going to the first Awards Ceremony in the Arena Riga at 19h00. Supper was again a traditional Latvian meal of beef stew with cumin and a corn-and-coleslaw salad. 

The Awards Ceremony was a truly phenomenal experience. It is an epic event with thousands of people in attendance. Different country flags were everywhere and all the choirs sat in eager anticipation for their results. Fortunately no time is wasted and we immediately got down to business with the first category to be announced, Young Male Choirs, where we received a score of 85,63% (Gold Medal) and second in the category.  The winners of this category were the excellent Hong Kong Diocesan Boy’s School Choir with a superb result of 96%!  Our boys were over the moon with their accomplishment. 

After this category, there were still another 8 categories before we would get to the Scenic Folklore results, which were announced last.  Our boys scored 87,50% in this category earning them a Gold Medal and fourth place in the category.  The top choir in this category was the Nankai University Choir from China with an incredible 96%.  The choir who received second place was the University of Pretoria Choir and third was the College of Performing Arts Choir from Namibia. Our choir received so many compliments - even after the results were announced. It is clear that they are a firm favourite with the audience.

Many of the boys were understandably disappointed not to be champions, but Chef was very happy with the results of the choir in both categories announced so far and praised the boys for their hard work.

We got back to the hotel at about 22h30 and the boys were given free time to go and explore some more sights of Riga nightlife and to let off some steam in the vibrant Old Town of Riga. 

The second Awards Ceremony is tomorrow morning at 09h00 at Arena Riga, when we will hear our results for the Scenic Pop category.  Please cross your fingers for that result!

Another gold medal for our Choir!

It's two out of two so far. Fantastic boys! Well done on these amazing results.

Our choir achieved their second gold medal at the World Choir Games. In the Scenic Folklore competition they scored an incredible 87.5%. The champions, with the highest score in the category, were the Student Choir of Nankai University from China.

Tomorrow is the awards ceremony for the Scenic Pop category - the last of the three categories in which our choir competed.

The photographs of the day and full blog post will be up in the morning.

Gold medal in Young Male Choirs Category - Wow!

In the awards ceremony that began at 19h00 in Riga, our Kearsney Choir placed second in the Young Male Choir category achieving a gold medal for the score which they achieved (85.63). The boys are absolutely over the moon! The Scenic Folklore category is announced at the end of this awards ceremony.

Picture from Bernard Kruger at the awards ceremony.

Album: 11 July

Link to album for Android and Apple users

Blog post: 11 July 2014

This morning the boys all got a wake-up call at 08h00 and had breakfast at 09h00.  We left the hotel at 09:30 am to go to an acoustic rehearsal at the venue for our competition tonight at the Culture Palace Ziemelblazma.  This venue is a 30 min bus drive from our hotel and is situated very far from the city centre of Riga.  After our sound check there, we drove back to the World Choir Games catering center for lunch at 13h00.  Today’s lunch of pasta bolognaise satisfied the boys’ culinary requirements, although the accompanying cucumber salad (which is basically what we know as gherkins, chopped into little blocks) did not receive any nods of approval. J

After lunch we hopped on a shuttle bus back to our hotel, where the boys watched a video of our Pop set as performed at the UN Assembly Hall in Geneva.  Chef’s aim with this exercise was for the boys to scrutinize themselves and see where they maybe did movements wrong, or if their movements weren’t together and if all the voice parts blended together without any individual voices sticking out. From 15h00 to 17h00 the boys had some free time to rest and have a nap. They had to be ready to leave the hotel at 17h30,showered and dressed in their Young Male Choir Uniform.  We had to be at our concert venue at 19h00, ready to perform at 19h30.

As I mentioned before, this venue is quite a drive from the hub of the city center, so there weren't as many people in the audience as with our Folklore performance. Nevertheless, the hall is really beautiful and surrounded by acres of grass and majestic acorn trees. The acoustics were not really suited to choral music and it was very difficult to project and let the choir resonate. We were third on the program and our boys gave the performance their all, even though music in a traditional choral style is not our forte.  As always they sang with such passion and energy, and I do believe that they did their best and left their hearts on that stage. Chef entered this category only to challenge the boys and push the boundaries of their skills. It was a worthwhile experience for the boys and they did themselves and us very proud. The Hong Kong Diocesan Boys School Choir, who are ranked number one in the world for male choirs, performed straight after us.  These gentlemen are extremely skilled and some of our boys who listened to their performance were left in awe and felt humbled by their masterful vocal technique and flawless harmonies.  There were only four choirs competing in this category, so we will definitely be in the top 5! J

We left the concert venue at about 21h00  and headed back to the hotel. Because we could not have supper before or after the competition, the boys were all given a supper stipend to go and buy themselves supper somewhere in the vibrant city square of Old Town Riga. They did not complain and as soon as we got to the hotel, they changed into more female alluring attire, as it is not cool at all to walk around in your choir uniform.  They had to be back at the hotel by 23h00 because we have another competition day tomorrow – Scenic Pop – at 11h00.  The boys are really amped and excited for this competition. They feel quite confident about their Pop set and are determined to bring back some gold tomorrow night!

Album: 10 July - Riga (afternoon and competition performance)

Link to album for Android and Apple users.

Album: 10 July Riga (morning and rehearsal)

Link to album for Android and Apple users.

Blog post: 10 July - Riga, Day 1 of competition

The boys all had a good night’s rest after yesterday’s long and stressful day. Here in Latvia the sun only sets at about 23h00 (even then it is not completely dark yet) and by 03h00 it is already light again outside. Luckily all the extra light did not seem to affect any of the boys’ sleeping patterns and they all arrived at breakfast at 08h00 looking fresh and rejuvenated.

The breakfast in this hotel is quite an upgrade from the standard continental European breakfast from our hotel in Switzerland. The boys could feast on bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, divine cheese omelets, a variety of cheeses and cold meats as well as cereals and fresh fruit.  After the lovely breakfast, the boys were confident that they could take on competition day!

At 10h45 we got on a tram that stops right outside our hotel and headed for the Riga Congress Centre to do a stage- and sound check for our performance this evening.  Every choir only gets a 10-minute slot on the stage, so Chef only really had time to check that the balance of the choir and the instruments were correct and made sure that the boys all knew where to stand and how much space they had to move around.  After the sound check we had a rehearsal in the park surrounding the Congress Centre.  The boys practiced their Scenic Folklore in the shade of age-old trees and on lush green grass. They really have enjoyed these recent outdoor rehearsals and in Riga this experience is even more magical.

We hopped on a city shuttle bus at 12h30 to go to lunch at the World Choir Games catering center, aka the Riga Sports Arena. The public transport here in Europe is quite phenomenal - always arriving and departing perfectly on time - and the boys are very confident travelers by now. We arrived at the catering center at 13h00 and the boys were treated to traditional Latvian cuisine of boiled potatoes (which is a staple food here), rice, aromatic chicken breasts marinated in yogurt and a tangy beetroot salad infused with marinated onions and garlic. You might be thinking that this does not sound like a meal which our boys would enjoy…and you are correct! While the staff found the meal quite tasty, it was a little too foreign for our boys’ pallets and they respectfully shoved their food around on their plates for a bit before dashing off to go find something a little less intimidating to their taste buds. :)

After lunch we had a rehearsal from 14h00 to 16h00 at the Riga School of Music. We returned to the hotel at about 16h30 and Chef told all the boys to have a power nap until 17h50 when we would go to supper.

At 18h00 we had supper in the town square of Old Riga at a delightful little restaurant with a live band. The boys were treated to scrumptious cheese burgers and fries. They enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere in the square and could not stop commenting on how beautiful all the girls here in Riga are!

After supper we went back to the hotel for a quick shower and the boys had to be ready to leave the hotel, dressed in their Scenic Folklore costumes, at 20h00. The Scenic Folklore category started at 19h30, but we were second to last on the program and only went on-stage at 21h15.

Our boys did everyone in South Africa very proud tonight and gave 110% on the stage. They were the only choir to receive a standing ovation and the audience applauded for quite a while after their last song. We received numerous compliments from total strangers after the show and they all spoke about how our choir was the only choir that really touched them. Chef was completely satisfied with their performance, but we are up against some very strong competition.

The boys after the performance in the competition

After the competition, at about 22h15, the boys were anxious to go back to the town square to explore the sights of Riga and no doubt its beautiful female inhabitants as well.  They had to be back by the hotel at 23h30, when it was still not completely dark. They have to get some restful sleep tonight because we have our second competition tomorrow evening at 20h00 – Young Male Choirs.

Show at Kearsney on 22 July is eagerly anticipated

SYNERGY! is a respected show choir (in the style of GLEE) from Utah in the USA who have toured to all corners of the globe and wow audiences everywhere. See them for the first time in South Africa, as they embark to spread the culture of show choirs throughout the world. This show will entertain young and old, filled with outrageous costumes and well-known music hits from pop artists and musicals.

The concert will include the Scenic Pop Performance of the Kearsney College Choir, fresh from their tour to Europe and the World Choir Games.

Doors open at 18h30. Tickets (R20 - R50) can be booked through Computicket.

Soft drinks and snacks will be on sale and you can bring picnic baskets with food and your own refreshments.

World Choir Games 10 July 2014

As Mrs Kruger mentioned in her blog post yesterday, today is a huge day for the Choir as they compete in the Scenic Folklore category tonight. This is the category of which they are reigning champions. From midday today the acoustic sound checks take place in the Riga Congress Centre for Category 29 - Scenic Folklore. Each choir only has 10 minutes for this purpose - including going on and off stage!

The category performances begin at 20h50 and the Kearsney College Choir is at #8 in the programme. We wish all the boys and staff the very best for this competition and know it is an experience that they will never forget.

Competition venue for this evening

See a virtual tour of the Riga Congress Centre.

Visit the official travel website for Riga to learn more about the city which is European Capital for Culture 2014. 

Photographs 9 July 2014

Link to album for Android and Apple users.

Blog Entry: 9 July - Geneva to Riga, Lativia

What a day! The boys (and staff) all received a wake-up call from the hotel at 02:30, yes you read that right (early in the morning)! Our flight from Geneva to Paris was at 07h30 and we had to be at the airport at 05h00. The boys were told that they HAD to be packed and ready in the hotel foyer at no later than 03h15, as we still had to pack all the luggage into the buses and do room checks  to ensure that they leave the rooms in an acceptable condition and to check that nothing is left behind. The staff had to drag quite a few boys out of their beds at 03h00!  We boarded our coach in Geneva for the last time at 04h00 for a half hour trip to the airport.

Check-in for our flight on Air France to Riga opened at 05h30. This is when our Kearsney College Choir Tour Drama Number 2 made its entrance: Air France would not allow us to take our hand luggage bags in the cabin (they said the bags were too big). They wanted to charge 70 euros PER BAG to check it in to the hold. That’s 70 euros times 69 bags….  At this stage Mr Moerdyk was looking around for the nearest exit to bolt out of the airport and Chef was typing frantically on his phone while not saying a word. Luckily Mrs Coleman was still functioning properly and she managed to calm the frantic attendant at the check-in counter down. We were allowed to check-in our hand luggage for “free” but we had to pay penalties for the extra luggage - our instruments.

We boarded our flight to Paris at 07h30 for the hour long flight. Our next flight to Riga was at 12h30. At this stage the boys were famished as they had not had breakfast yet! But there was unfortunately no time between the flights to have any lunch either as it took an hour to get to our check-in gate and another two hours to check in. Once again we were fined for the instruments, but this time also had to pay for the cabin bags to be checked in. What a business!

Our boys were real troopers though, and we had very few complaints about their empty stomachs. They checked in seamlessly and we boarded our plane to Riga at 12h30. Luckily we could buy food and drinks on the flight to curb the worst of hungry spells. Most of the boys had a welcome sleep on this three hour flight – waking up at 02h30 is a tough call even for teenagers!  We landed in a balmy 28 degree Riga at 16h00 (15h00 South African time, as we are now one hour ahead).

Enter Kearsney College Choir Tour Drama Number 3:  49 pieces of our luggage had not arrived with us in Riga and were still in Paris!  Apparently the plane was too heavy and so Air France just decided to bump off a few pieces of luggage –(incidentally, these luggage pieces were ours, containing all the boys’ concert uniform and the Folklore competition is tomorrow evening)!

At this stage, Chef’s face turned three shades whiter and Mr Moerdyk’s eyes were darting left and right (I think he was scouring the exits again). J Thankfully though, the ground attendants told us that there was another flight from Paris landing at 22h30 and that all our (lost) luggage would be on that flight. 

We decided to go to the hotel to check-in and that the staff (excluding Chef) would return to the airport later to fetch the luggage.

We have a few parents who joined us on the tour today and awaited us at the hotel. They offered to organise supper for the boys and managed to get each boy a scrumptious chili con carne pizza for dinner, which we had in a lush park just opposite the hotel at 21:00 while the sun was still blazing outside.

Chef was anxious to have a rehearsal with the boys after supper and chose a secluded spot in another area of the park for this purpose while the rest of the staff went back to the airport to fetch the rest of our luggage. 

Thankfully all our luggage arrived safely on the late flight and we arrived back at the hotel with at 23h30 to give the boys their bags before they went to bed. All is well again!

Tomorrow is a very big day for the choir. It is our performance in the Folklore Competition tomorrow evening at 20h50 (19h50 SA time).  So, please pray and hold all thumbs for tomorrow night. The boys have have worked extremely hard, are super-prepared and feel very blessed to be in this breathtaking European Capital of Culture to defend their Championship title!

Album: 8 July - Geneva / UN

Link to album for iPad and Android users.

Blog entry: 8 July - Geneva

This morning the boys had breakfast in the hotel at 08h00. At 08h30 Chef received a phone call from Darren Maule from the ECR Breakfast Show who is in Switzerland at the moment. They spoke about our concert at the United Nations this evening as well as the World Choir Games. At the end of the interview, the whole choir gathered around Chef’s phone and gave a shout-out to all our supporters, friends and family in South Africa. Listen to the podcast.

We were scheduled to have a rehearsal at the International School of Geneva this morning from 09h00 to 11h30 but because our rehearsal down in the car park of the hotel proved to be so efficient and successful yesterday, Chef decided to save time and to practise there again today. Since we were only performing the pop repertoire at this evening’s concert at the UN, the boys worked on that intensely today and worked on perfectly synchronising their movements.

While the boys were rehearsing Mrs Coleman and Mr Moerdyk set off to buy lunch for the boys with the stipends provided for them by our tour operator.  They returned with a variety of delicious Swiss cheese and ham sandwiches, as well as  Snickers bars for dessert and the boys were not disappointed as they enjoyed their early lunch at 11h30.

The boys had to be ready with their pop costume attires and instruments at 12h30 for our transfer to the UN in Geneva. (See the UN Geneva official website).  Security is very strict at the UN buildings and we had to present passports for each boy and were given pre-printed individual visitor’s name cards.

Almost every surface, walls and floors, in the UN are made of marble.  The inside of the General Assembly Hall (where the concert was to be held this evening) is a massive impressive auditorium with an automated roof which can transform the venue in seconds from a light-filled to a completely dark theatre venue. 

We had a massed choir rehearsal, sound check and dress rehearsal from 14h00 to 16h30. The concert started at 18h00 with all seven choirs participating in The Rhythms of One World Festival.  As this evening’s concert was hosted by the Romanian permanent mission to the UN there was a new choir featuring on the programme - the Romanian National Children’s Choir.

Kearsney was once again the last choir to perform, doing their pop set. This was a good dress rehearsal for our competition in Scenic Pop at the World Choir Games. 

The intensive rehearsals over the past few days have paid off amazing dividends with the boys giving a truly remarkable rendition of their pop repertoire.  Because they are now much more confident of their moves and voice parts, this allowed them to have so much fun on the stage, which created a dynamic and magical vibe.  The Choir thoroughly deserved the spontaneous standing ovations from the audience and Chef gave them 7 out of 10 for tonight’s performance! 

The concert ended at 21h00, after which we attended a Farewell Dinner Cocktail Reception at the UN together with other participants of the closing concert. The organisers were kind enough to provided a variety of pizzas for our always-starving boys.  J

We returned to the hotel at approximately 22h30 and Chef told the boys to pack immediately, tidy their rooms and take a shower as we have to leave our hotel tomorrow morning at 04h00 to catch our flight on Air France at 07h30.  After a short stop-over at the airport in France, we will fly to Riga, Latvia with Air Baltic at 10h40 and arrive in Riga at 15h40.

Media Coverage

Over the years there has been great media interest in the Kearsney Choir and this year is no different.

We were delighted to hear Darren Maule of East Coast Radio Breakfast Show interview our Director of Music, Bernard Kruger, on his show this morning. The ECR show is broadcasting the show live from A Vogel headquarters in Switzerland this week. We will try to get a podcast to share with our audience on this blog.

IOL article of 8 July click to read this press article.

Tonight the boys will perform for an audience of invited guests at the UN European headquarters in Geneva in the closing ceremony for the Rhythms of One World Festival. This will be a remarkable and memorable occasion for the boys. We look forward to sharing the details here and also hope to feature this special event in the press.

Album: 7 July Rafting

Link to album for iPad and Android users

Blog entry: 7 July - Geneva

This morning and afternoon most of the boys went rafting on the Arve River, while a smaller group of boys went on a cruise on Lake Geneva.  Those who went rafting were divided into three groups as the maximum group size is 24, for safety reasons. The first group, which was accompanied by Mrs Coleman, had breakfast at 07h00 and left the hotel at 07h30.  Mr Moerdyk took the second group at 10h30 and Chef took the third group at 12h30 and returned at 15h30.

The rafting experience was a definite highlight for our adrenaline-hungry boys.  Each raft held eight boys who paddled through rapids along the beautiful Arve River. Due to heavy rains last night, the water level was almost double the normal level, which increased the excitement. Being Kearsney boys, this fun exercise quickly turned into full-on warfare as the boys tried to capsize each other into the 11 degree glacier Alpine water! 

Those who were not inclined to take on the rapids went on a boat cruise around Lake Geneva accompanied by Mrs Kruger and Ms Ziegelmeier. This was also a very special experience for the boys who got to marvel at the stunning sights of Geneva in the summer – lush green trees all around, azure water, picturesque houses and centuries-old architecture. 

To maximise our use of our disjointed day, Chef decided to cram in some much needed sectional rehearsals with groups of boys when they were not busy rafting or cruising in another novel rehearsal space - the basement car park of the hotel (see below).  

These rehearsals proved to be very productive as the boys had to work without instrumental accompaniment, which helped them perfect their pronunciation and hear each other’s voices better.

After all the morning’s excitement the boys had another rehearsal for their pop performance from 16h00 – 17h00 in the convenient multi-functional car park :).  

We left the hotel at 17h00 for the Geneva Conservatory of Music (the same venue in which the boys had their first concert on Saturday night) to attend a concert of The Singing Angels from Cleveland at 18h00. The boys enjoyed seeing their newly acquired friends in action and seemed entertained by their American-infused repertoire.

After the concert we walked a short distance to the restaurant where we were to have dinner - The Holy Cow Gourmet Burger Bar. The boys thoroughly approved of this evening’s meal – a succulent Swiss cheese burger with caramelised onions and huge, thick-cut fries, followed by decadent strawberry and custard tartlets which almost looked too good to eat!

We arrived back at the hotel at 21h00 and because tonight is our last ‘free’ night in Geneva, the boys were given time to walk around the city - although it must be said that Geneva is not known for its nightlife. 

 Most boys strolled around the block before returning to the hotel.

Album: Concert Performance 6 July

Link to album for iPad and Android users.

Album: Various rehearsals 6 July

The boys rehearsed with other choirs taking part in the Rhythms of One World Festival in the Victoria Hall in the evening. Next they practiced their Folklore set outdoors in a park near Geneva University before returning to Victoria Hall for a sound check before the evening's performance.




Direct link to album for iPad and Android users. 

Blog entry: 6 July - Geneva

The boys were given a wake-up call a little later than normal, at 08h00.  This morning was at leisure for boys to get to know Geneva on their own. Most had breakfast at about 09h00 and then set off to explore the city centre.  All boys had a pass for public transportation and a stipend for lunch.  With today being a Sunday, most of the shops were closed and most boys walked to Lake Geneva where they marveled at the landmark Jet d’eau Fountain which shoots water 80 metres into the sky!

Everyone had to be back at the hotel and ready to leave for for a massed choir rehearsal at Victoria Hall at 12 noon.  After this rehearsal, Chef took the boys to rehearse in a unique venue – in the open in a park just outside the University of Geneva.  Here a large crowd of people, who seemed fascinated by the boys’ movements and singing, gathered.

We returned to the Victoria Hall at 16h00 for a sound check and rehearsal for our Folklore performance  later that evening.The Rhythms on One World 2014 Choral Celebration Concert at Victoria Hall started at 18h00 and each of the six participating choirs performed a short programme, starting with the massed choir performance of Song of Peace, which was inspired by the Kearsney College Choir’s performance of this song at the 2012 World Choir Games. Our boys were the last choir to perform and they really did this fantastic hall and the acoustics justice and earned a standing ovation from the appreciative audience.  There was a marked improvement from the previous night’s performance - which goes to show the value of pre-competition performances.  Chef gave the boys 6/10 for tonight’s performance – a solid pass with room for improvement.

By the end of the performance the boys had built up huge appetites. Considering  they had last eaten at 12:00, these were almost famine conditions in teenage boys’ eyes. Luckily dinner for all the choirs involved in the performance was only across the street to the Restaurant Cave Valaisanne.  Here the boys enjoyed a sit-down three-course dinner of a green salad starter, mains of chicken, potatoes and ratatouille (‘no Mam, this is not ratatouille – that’s a movie with a rat. J).  Dinner was topped off with a refreshing lemon sorbet.  The boys again honed their social skills with the lovely ladies of The Singing Angels.

We returned to the Hotel at about 23h00 and the boys had some free time until lights-out at 24h00.  They are all very excited about tomorrow’s white water rafting on the Arve River.

Album: Sights around Geneva - 6 July

The touring party had a morning off on Sunday 6 July. This was an opportunity to explore Geneva.

Direct link to album (for iPad and Android users).

Album: Concert Performance 5 July

On the evening of 5 July, the Kearsney Choir wowed their audience during their first solo concert at the Conservatory of Music in Geneva.  

Direct link to this album (for iPad and Android users)

Album: 5 July Lunch with UN Ambassador

After rehearsing in the Victoria Hall, the touring party went on to enjoy a traditional South African braai at the home of South African Ambassador Minty.

Direct link to album (for iPad and Android users)

Blog entry - 5 July – continued

Blog entry from Mrs Kruger

This morning the boys had to be ready to leave by 08h45 so they got a wake-up call from the hotel at 07h00 to have breakfast before we left.  Breakfast was a typical European Continental breakfast - a buffet consisting of a variety of yogurts, cereals, breads, cheese, cold meat cuts and scrambled eggs.  The boys really got stuck in!

At 08h45 we boarded our coach for the Victoria Hall where we had a massed choir rehearsal from 09h00-11h30 with the other choirs participating in The Rhythms of One World Festival.  The Victoria Hall is a Baroque masterpiece, with gilded pillars, a painted ceiling, beautiful chandeliers and impeccable acoustics.  It is Geneva’s equivalent to the Musikverein in Vienna and Carnegie Hall in New York.

In the massed choir performance, our Kearsney boys make up the band providing all the accompaniment. The choir stand right in front and they steal the show – in my opinion. :)

After the rehearsal we proceeded to a lunch reception hosted by the South African Mission to the UN in Geneva. It was held at the private residence of the South African ambassador to Switzerland, Ambassador Minty.

The boys feasted on a South African ‘braai’, with succulent steaks, marinated chicken, boerewors and traditional salads, prepared by South African chefs.  The ambassador also invited all the staff from the permanent South African Mission to the United Nations, so we felt totally at home. It was quite enlightening speaking to South African people about their experiences living in Switzerland.

After lunch we headed to the Conservatory of Music to prepare for our solo full performance this evening. We struggled to fit in all four of our sets in the limited rehearsal time available because another choir was preparing to take to the stage immediately after our rehearsal. The boys felt quite unsure and nervous, but this was a good practice run for the World Choir Games since there will be even less rehearsal time at the competition in Riga. After this rehearsal, we returned to the hotel at 15h30 for a rest and a quick shower. We left the hotel again at 17h00 for our concert in the Conservatory of Music at 18h00.

Ambassador Minty addresses the audience at the concert

Although the acoustics in this hall did not disappoint, it was quite a challenge to perform on the narrow stage and the boys had to improvise in a number of songs. The boys gave a very polished performance in their Young Male Choir set, and looked very dapper in their stone coloured chinos, navy shirts and trendy snoods. The Religious set was especially enjoyed by the audience, with Nduduzo (Mkhize) delivering a very inspiring of rendition of Ahona ya tswanang le Jesu.  The Folklore set was particularly challenging on the small stage, but the boys did their best and the audience didn’t seem to notice.  Our final set, the pop performance, had the audience on their feet. Because there was no interval during this performance, the boys’ energy levels were stretched to the maximum, which was a good test of their endurance.

Our concert finished at about 20h00, after which we attended a welcome cocktail dinner reception at Maison des arts du Gruli sponsored by the State of Geneva and the Swiss Mission. Here the boys had another chance to mingle with the members of The Singing Angels from Cleveland, Ohio, which they thoroughly enjoyed.  Unfortunately though, the ‘dinner’ at the reception consisted mainly of minute french canapes, filled with artichokes, raw fish, beef tartare, capers and scallops – boys’ verdict: “Fail”.  Staffs’ solution: McDonalds!

We arrived back at our hotel at 23h30 and the boys were sent straight to bed.  Fortunately, they have some free time tomorrow morning from 09h00 to 12h00, so my guess is that most of them will be sleeping until 11! Tomorrow evening we have another concert at 18h00 in Victoria Hall, where we will only be performing our Folklore set, as we share this performance with all eight of the other choirs participating in The Rhythms of One World Festival.

Album: 5 July Photographs (1)

We share the album of some today's photographs. It was such a busy day. This album is the morning only - breakfast to rehearsal.

Direct link to album (for iPad and Android users).

Album: 4 July

Our school counsellor, Mrs Kerry-Jane Coleman, will act as the official photographer on tour. View the album of photos from the first day here.
Direct link to this album (for iPad and Android users).

Blog entry: The evening of 4 July

The boys had a nourishing supper consisting of a salad buffet as well as an all-you-can-eat chicken stir-fry at our hotel.  At 19h00 we boarded our private coach for the Espace Omnisports du Saleve, which is a big community hall in the small town of Collonges-sous-Saleve. The town lies just beyond the border between France and Switzerland – so within two days the boys have been in three countries.  We attended a concert of three other choirs who are also participating in The Rhythms of One World Festival. The choirs were very diverse in nature, each with their own unique style and repertoire.

First to perform was a choir called Echology from The University of Newcastle in Australia. They performed authentic Australian and Aboriginal folk music. Next was the Signal Hill Alumni Choir from Trinidad and Tobago, who performed music in a Caribbean vibe. The audience (and the boys especially) really enjoyed this choir’s vibrant calypso melodies as well as their super-synchronated moves. Last on the program was The Singing Angels from the USA. They consist mainly of middle- and high school-aged children who performed songs typical of America - from Barbershop to Broadway.

The concert finished at about 22h00 and afterwards there was a small reception hosted by the community choir of the town of Collonges-sous-Saleve.  The boys immediately set off to impress the female members of The Singing Angels and some Kearsney boys sang songs outside together with The Singing Angels while other boys showed off their dancing abilities. Loads of fun was had by all!

We boarded our coach at about 22h45 for a 15 minute trip back to the hotel after which the boys were told to go to bed immediately as we have our first concert tomorrow evening at the Conservatoire de Musique in Geneva at 18h00. The boys will be having breakfast tomorrow morning at 08h00, before departing for a rehearsal at the Conservatoire at 09h00.

Blog entry: 4 July departing for Europe

Most of today was spent travelling as the tour party went to Geneva via Dubai. The first installment of our regular posts written by Mrs Junine Kruger from the tour follows. Thank you for sharing Junine. Also check out some of the photos sent from some of the boys on our "selfies and snaps" tab. Thanks boys. Keep it up.

Blog entry 04/07/2014

Dear parents and followers – it has begun! The Kearsney College Choir tour 2014 is well underway. 

As I am typing this, we are waiting in the aircraft to take off to Geneva.  It is now 09h00 in Dubai, 07h00 in South Africa.

Yesterday at 13h00 the five touring staff members and three boys left Kearsney College for King Shaka International Airport. All the equipment was packed and we felt confident that the tour was off to a good start.  

We arrived at the airport at about 14h30, where we met the rest of the boys and their parents and families. We immediately started checking in which was quite a mean feat as we had so many instruments to check in together with the group’s luggage weight.  There were a few boys who had to repack their hand luggage as we were only allowed 7kgs, but many of them thought that a few extra kg’s wouldn't matter!

After checking in our luggage, the boys serenaded the parents with a lovely energetic performance of Shosholoza.  


There is only a very small waiting area with one restaurant after passing through security. Of course our boys were very hungry! Checking in was very hard work. The unsuspecting staff members at the restaurant must have felt overwhelmed as our boys descended upon them, but they managed quite well. At 17h45 we boarded our flight to Dubai.

As soon as we were on the plane the boys made themselves comfortable while scouring the movie selection on the in-flight televisions. Many asked when supper would be served but, to their dismay, that only happened about two hours into the flight. 
Fortunately, the supper did not disappoint and we could feast on a starter of tender smoked chicken with coleslaw and then choose between three mains - marinated fillet of steamed hake with sweet and sour sauce, marinated chicken in Middle Eastern spices and penne pasta served with grilled Mediterranean vegetables. Dessert was also quite lovely – a raspberry sponge cake served with creme Englaise (sp?).  After supper many of the boys still had lots of energy and, while some opted to watch a movie or sleep, many chatted the night away and even managed to make the acquaintance of some girls.

Just before we could enjoy our mile-high supper, we had Europe 2014 Tour Drama No1:  our hand luggage bags were too big to fit into the overhead compartments comfortably (after having the weight and size of them cleared by the airline a week earlier). This meant that many of the boys’ bags had to be stowed either in other overhead compartments which still had space, or put in the plane’s cargo hold.  

The bags stowed in the cargo hold would not be loaded off in Dubai, but would be sent directly to Geneva.  You may think that that in itself is not a problem, but boys will usually find a way to surprise you. At the beginning of the tour, the boys were told explicitly that after each flight boarding they had to hand their passports and plane tickets back to the staff member responsible for their passport. (We know how easily boys might lose track of irrelevant (J) documents like passports).

One boy unfortunately put his passport in his hand luggage instead of handing it to the relevant staff member. As luck would have it his bag was one of those that was stowed in the cargo area.......destination - Geneva! This meant that when we arrived in Dubai this boy did not have his passport, meaning that he would not be able to board the flight to Geneva. Eeeeck….. but never fear - Mrs Kerry-Jane Coleman managed to firmly, yet kindly, persuade the ground staff at Dubai Airport that she be allowed to personally check all the bags that were off-loaded from the plane onto the cargo conveyor belts, and then found our culprit’s bag minutes before we had to board the plane to Geneva! Phew!

Mr Gareth Moerdyk subsequently assured our "passport offender" (no names mentioned) that he would have to carry Mrs Coleman’s luggage for the remainder of the tour! Lesson learned?

While this saga was playing out on the one side of Dubai Airport, the rest of the boys and staff had time to wander around and freshen up. We did not contemplate buying anything due to the unfavorable exchange rate. R80 for a coffee was not at all appealing. The Dubai Airport is very impressive and the boys managed to safely entertain themselves until we boarded our flight to Geneva at 07h00 SA time.

As I write boys are asleep all around me – a natural effect of all-night airline gallivanting.  The Kearsney staff  members are also exhausted - but not complaining. The air hostesses have started serving breakfast – our second breakfast in 9 hours! We will be landing in Geneva at 13h45 SA time, after which we will travel to our hotel, have some resting time and then attend a reception and concert (we will only we watching! J) hosted by the mayor of a small town on the border of France. (Yes we are also going to France)!

17h30

All the boys have checked into our hotel - Ibis Le Bien-etre au Meilleur Prix Hotel in Geneva. They are having an early supper before we leave the hotel at 19h00 to attend a Friendship Concert performed by three other choirs who are also taking part in The Rhythms of  One World International Choral Festival in the auditorium Espace Ominsports du Saleve in the town of Collonges-sous-Saleve. The three choirs who we will be watching are The University of Newcastle (from Australia), the Signal Hill Alumni Choir from Trinidad and Tobego and The Singing Angels from the USA. The boys are very excited. The presence of girls may have something to do with it!? We will be back at our hotel at around 12 midnight.

We have encouraged boys to send their snaps and selfies and hope that you get to enjoy some of their "views" of the tour on the relevant tab on this blog.

We will report again soon. Please subscribe to our blog to be notified of updates. (Enter your email address in the right hand panel). We look forward to your comments.

More soon,
Mrs Junine Kruger

Album: Farewell Concerts

Post by Kearsney College.

Supper Theatre Concerts 25 and 26 June

The Kearsney choir will perform at two supper theatre shows before they depart for the World Choir Games. You can watch them perform their competition repertoire, which includes contemporary choral music, African Gospel, indigenous folk music and pop songs by Robin Thicke, Bruno Mars, and Bastille.

Kearsney Choir Supper Theatre - 25 and 26 June 2014 - Henderson Hall, Kearsney College at 19h00. Doors open at 18h00. Bookings open at Computicket.