The Senior Choir comprising about 60 learners plays a leading role in school ceremonies and participates in festivals, concerts and competitions. Their repertoire is wide and ranges from difficult and challenging classical works to popular songs and songs from musicals. The Senior Choir is directed by Mrs Morrick. The Junior Choir (Grade 8 -Grade 9) comprises 50 learners and performs at some school events and concerts. They are directed by matrics.
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| The Swing Sisters (2009) |
The Swing Sisters (Jeppe’s chamber choir) comprises a group of 25 learners at present. They sing more challenging music and girls wishing to join this choir need to pass an audition and must be able to read music fluently. They represent the school at high profile events and competitions, as well as performing internally.
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| The Mixed Choir (2009) |
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| Hlabelela (2008) | Hlabelela (2009) |
The Jeppe choirs will be performing at the Johannesburg Festival of Music in August this year and the Swing Sisters and the Mixed Choir have entered the National Choir Competition for High Schools hosted by Michaelhouse.
The Experience of a lifetime
Jeppe High School for Girls brought home 2 silver medals from the 5th World Choir Games which has just taken place in Austria.
The Jeppe choir took part in two categories – Popular Choral Music (Open) with 20 other choirs and Gospel and Spiritual (Open) with 16 other choirs. They were selected to go through to the final round for both categories and performed in the finals on Friday 11 July and at midnight on Saturday 12 July.
The results of the Games were announced at a huge prize-giving ceremony at midday on Sunday 13 July in an indoor theatre that was larger than a soccer stadium. Most of the choirs that had participated attended the ceremony in their national dress and were bearing their national flags. It was a wonderful experience. The certificates for each category were awarded first and then the medals: bronze, silver and gold. After cheering heartily for our fellow South Africans and choirs we had met on the tour, the Jeppe contingent awaited the results of their categories with bated breath. The competition was really stiff and the excitement mounted as the choirs who had been awarded certificates were announced and then those that had won bronze medals and Jeppe’s name still hadn’t been called out. When Jeppe Girls was awarded silver, the learners and staff alike leapt to their feet with ecstatic cheering. Mrs Morrick, the conductor of the choir, accepted the two medals on the choir’s behalf together with the Head of the Choir, Phumza Phoshoko, and the two Vice Heads, Alicia Deysel and Rosanna Shahini.
“I am really thrilled with our results” says Mrs Morrick. “We were honoured to be invited to participate in the games and were incredibly excited when we qualified in not one category, but two. I would have been happy with one bronze medal, but two silvers! I’m ecstatic! As first time participants, we have done ourselves and our country proud. Our girls worked extremely hard and they deserve this honour. Bravissima!
The South African choirs attending the games did exceptionally well,
winning more gold medals than any other country (15 out of the 74 gold
medals that were awarded) and numerous silver medals. Ms Slabber, our
Headmistress, had this to say: “What a wonderful experience for Jeppe
Girls to be able to compete against the best choirs in the world. The
fact that the choir received two silver medals for the first time they
participated in the games is quite an achievement at this level of
competition. The girls also participated in a friendly concert that
took place in Haüplatz – in the middle of the city and drew the biggest
crowd of all the choirs that participated. It was an amazing experience
for everyone. Well done and congratulations to all involved.”
