EmaSwati voices ready to soar

… Ntjilo-Ntjilo Choral Competition sets the stage

MBABANE – Local choirs enter the final, gruelling home stretch of preparations for the upcoming Ntjilo-Ntjilo Choral Competition, slated for September 20.

Headed by seasoned conductor Mathokoza Sibiya renowned for his work with Lugubhu LweNgwenyama and later Sweet Sounds, the festival holds a proud, uncompromising vision: It is strictly a celebration of emaSwati talent, featuring exclusively local choristers.

This year’s showcase promises a rich tapestry of vocal artistry, spanning diverse categories including Duets, Quartets, Sextets, female and male voices, mixed standard choirs, Zion choirs and large choirs.

The competitive landscape is fierce, drawing heavyweights and rising stars alike. Among the standard and large choirs stepping up to the plate are the Emmanuel Methodist Choir, Eswatini Mighty Voices, Gebeni Choristers and large choirs including Royal Eswatini Police Service Choir, Dolce Harmony Chorus, His Majesty’s Correctional Services Choir and Pure Voices amongst others. Meanwhile, the spiritual depth of the competition will be anchored by prominent Zion groups, including Harmonious Praise, Philip Christian Church in Zion and Entokozweni Christian Church in Zion.

Adding a distinct layer of symphonic prestige, competing choirs have already locked in rehearsal schedules with the Mbabane Chamber Orchestra to master their Western set pieces for today and tomorrow.

For the Emmanuel Methodist Church Choir, preparations have reached a fever pitch. Conductor Tsepo Sigwane noted that the focus has shifted entirely to technical precision and total memorization.

“The preparations are more intense now and very technical. Our biggest aim is to memorise the music and ensure the choir has put together all the technical requirements on every piece we are doing,” Sigwane shared.

Sigwane highlighted that the group spent roughly six weeks tackling an ambitious repertoire that pushed them well out of their comfort zones, including a demanding Western piece drawn from Giuseppe Verdi’s famous opera ‘Nabucco.’ The journey required intense dedication involving weekend camps and grueling all-night cross-night rehearsals.

The choir is also poised to unveil a fresh wave of vocal talent. “Ntjilontjilo is about unearthing new and local talents, we will be unveiling new soloists taking up multiple roles across our entries in the Duet, Sextet, Female Voice, Male Voice and Mixed Choir categories”, he said.

Emmanuel Methodist is gunning for history on September 20, aiming for a third consecutive overall win in the Mixed Choir category since 2024.

The Dolce Harmony Chorus shares the same high-octane energy. Choir Coordinator Ndumiso Msibi stated that preparations are running smoothly, with the ensemble fully primed to take the stage by storm.

“We are sending the best soloists to compete with the best in the country,” Msibi said. “We can’t wait to ascend the stage and make the audience happy… We will meet fire with fire, for we know exactly the capacity of Swazi choirs and their brilliant conductors.” Dolce Harmony spent three months navigating hurdles to piece together their performance. Yet behind the glamour of the stage lies a shared, familiar struggle: finances.

Both leadership teams point to funding as their biggest hurdle. Transport for choristers, catering and venue rentals demand heavy capital. This financial burden falls heavily on choristers, over percent of whom are unemployed youth and scholars who dig deep into their own pockets to keep their musical dreams alive, supplemented by patrons, supporters and friends of the choirs.

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