Catholic choirs clash

CATHOLIC choirs will battle for honours at this year’s national St Cecilia music competition set for Bulawayo Amphitheatre on Saturday.

CATHOLIC choirs will battle for honours at this year’s national St Cecilia music competition set for Bulawayo Amphitheatre on Saturday.

PRIVILEGE SHOKO OWN CORRESPONDENT

The competition is being organised by the Zimbabwe Catholic Association of Sacred Music (ZCASM) and this year’s event will feature a choir from Gauteng, South Africa.

The competition is held annually in commemoration of St Cecilia Patron Saint of Catholic Music.

ZCASM spokesperson Jacob Chikarakara said choirs from different dioceses will take part in the competition.

“The competition brings together 55 deanery choirs drawn from the eight Catholic dioceses in Zimbabwe and a choir from Gauteng,” he said.

“This is a special, exhilarating and uplifting event of praise and worship that begins with Holy Mass at 6.00 am, with the first choir getting onto the stage at 8 am and the last one performing at around 6pm.”

Chikarakara said the competition was meant to encourage singing in churches and in all languages.

“The music competition has grown from 2006, which had only 16 choirs from Gweru” he said.

Chikarakara urged people to come in numbers and witness the event.

“The hosting association extends its invitation to all those who enjoy sacred music and, in particular, Catholics from all walks of life that will be able to make it to the Bulawayo Amphitheatre,” he said.

“Attendees will not regret spending the whole day or part of it listening to the glorious voices churning out this year’s apt set piece.”

Chikarakara expressed his gratitude to all the organisations and companies that were supporting the hosting of the event.