THE Talented young musicians of the KwaZulu-Natal Youth Orchestra delighted a full house audience at the Port Alfred High School hall last Thursday night (June 28), playing selections of classical, popular, African and Latin music.
The event was organised by the Rotary Club of Port Alfred, and tickets buyers were encouraged to bring picnic baskets and their own drinks.
The members of the orchestra range from 10 to 20 years old and come from all over KwaZulu-Natal. They meet in Durban once a week for rehearsals.
The orchestra was conducted by Lykele Temmingh, assisted by Cathy Peacock, who tutors the young musicians.
They started off with four classical selections, including the very familiar Anvil Chorus and Dance of the Hours. The popular section included a Dave Brubeck composition, Take 5, Leonard Chohen’s Hallelujah and music from the Harry Potter movies.
African rhythms filled the air with Toto’s Africa, The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Zebra Crossing, a familiar standard of the Soweto String Quartet.
There was fun audience participation in the Latin piece, Tequila, and the percussion section really had the opportunity to display their energetic enthusiasm in Samba de Janeiro.
The youth orchestra also performed two shows at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
