Carpe Musicam! birthday performances were a hit

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Carpe Musicam! Orchestra and Choir manager, pianist and choir trainer Elsabe Barkhuizen is satisfied with how the groups' 10th birthday concerts went this month.

The concerts were held in Sedgefield, George and Mossel Bay on 6, 11 and 13 April respectively.

Barkhuizen said: "From the very first note of Mannheim Steamroller’s take on Handel’s Hallelujah chorus until the last note of the original version of the same item had died away, Carpe Musicam!’s concert, Hallelujah!, was a rollercoaster ride of emotions, surprises and just plain excellent music."

The George and Sedgefield concerts were sold out and the Mossel Bay one well attended.

Barkhuizen said: "The orchestra was in top form, with transparent ensemble work in sections of the Surprise! Symphony – a collection of snippets from famous symphonies.

"In gentler moments, violin soloists Jean Kotze and Simei Verster led the orchestra thoughtfully and sweetly through Elgar’s Salut d’Amour."

She noted that the large choir added a new dimension to an already "wonderful" event in the expressive Were you There? , the monumental yet delicate va Pensiero, the soul-rocking MASSive – a mass in rock 'n roll style and the final, triumphant Hallelujah! chorus.