Mohalenyane Phakela
MULTI-AWARD winning choral outfit, Serumula Performing Arts Academy (SPAA), will mark its 10th anniversary with a concert at Victory Hall in Moshoeshoe II on 21 May.
The event will begin with a one and half hour-long ceremony to honour the founding members and those, including composers that have contributed towards the growth of the ensemble.
SPAA, which was formed on 8 January 2007 with only 16 members, has grown into a group of 130 active members and its popularity has spread into neighbouring South Africa.
Locally, they have won the national African Melody Festival in 2012, 2013, 2015 and in 2016.
The list of South African honours includes the Melting Pot Choir Festival, Gauteng Choral Music Awards as well as the South African National Choir Festival and Mangaung Choral Music Association competitions.
SPAA founder and conductor Lehlomela Tente this week told the Weekender that they had exceeded their set targets hence the celebration.
“We will be telling the story of Serumula through the event from its inception in 2007 up to this moment,” he said.
“We set down a 20-year plan of goals which we review every five years to check how far we have come. We wanted to be a fully functional academy with drama and theatre departments but we decided to focus on music until we are perfect and that is when we will venture into other initiatives.
“In the first five years we were focused on training members on different aspects of choral music which include composing and establishing solo artistes and some have grown to even become music teachers.”
He said their journey had been full of challenges, adding, “There cannot be a group of people working together without fighting”.
“Others left and we also got new members but overall we managed to keep Serumula shining.
“Only three of the 16 founding members are still part of Serumula so we will recognise their efforts through awards before we start the performances of the day.”
He said they would also use the opportunity to record their live album, 10 Years of Serumula, which would be packaged as a double CD and a live DVD.
“We will also use that opportunity to check if we are still on the right track towards reaching our 20-year plan,” he said.