February 17, 2004
By Lucky Sindane
MUSIC lovers of all ages are invited to what promises to be a fun-filled day of music and dance at the 4th Orchestra Rave, to be held at Wits University's education campus in Parktown at the end of March.
The annual event, organised by the Orchestra Company, showcases a wide range of music styles from hip-hop and pantsula dancers to classical string ensembles and traditional music, from jazz and fusion workshops to performances by township choirs and youth orchestras.
The popular music festival is set to take place on Saturday 27 March at Linder Auditorium on Wits University's education campus, formerly the Johannesburg Collage of Education.
As has become the custom, the programme consists of two separate events: the Orchestra Rave festival during the day, which is made up of various performances and workshops; and the evening Orchestra Rave gala concert, which sees the performance of a massed orchestra along with international musicians like instrumentalist Pops Mohamed and composer and pianist Paul Hanmer.
Mohamed plays an array of indigenous instruments from the kora (a harp) and the mbira (a thumb piano) to the didgeridoo (a wind instrument) and the mouth bow, while Hanmer is a composer and arranger who draws on a wide variety of musical sources, from South African music to jazz, classical and pop.
"The Orchestra Rave festival promises to be an exhilarating day for the whole family," says publicity officer Antoinette Rose. "This is an all day outing that caters for each member of the family."
According to the Orchestra Company's website, "The Orchestra Rave is a multi-cultural celebration of all genres of youth music and dance. It is a dynamic platform for the South African youth to express themselves through the universal language of music, thus enabling them to cross cultural barriers, network with other musicians and most importantly to keep orchestral music alive."
The festival programme, from 11am to 5pm, features various performances, demonstrations, talks and workshops. Mohamed and Hanmer will also be holding workshops.
A massed orchestra of more than 250 musicians will present the evening gala concert, to be held in the Linder Auditorium from 7pm. "This promises to be an invigorating fun-filled concert," says Rose. Mohamed, Hanmer and Steve Barnett of Drum Events will also take part in the performance.
"Every member of the audience will get the chance to take part in the drum session, hosted by Barnett, during the gala concert," Rose adds.
Last year's Orchestra Rave saw a total of 36 events taking place with 800 people performing.
The festival, sponsored by De Beers, Classic FM, the Sowetan, Transnet and BASA, promises to be a highlight on the local music scene, introducing music to a wider audience.
Tickets, available from Computicket from 27 February, will be sold separately for the two events. Tickets for the Orchestra Rave festival are R10, while tickets for the Orchestra Rave gala concert tickets are R75. Block bookings will also be available for the gala concert.
For more information contact the Orchestra Company on 011 643 1333 or visit the website.
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