Siyephambili Choral Festival opens registration

FOLLOWING the successful hosting of the Econet Ijoy Afta Joy choral competition, the country’s vibrant choral community is preparing for another milestone as the Siyephambili Choral Festival (SCF) opens registration for its fifth edition.

Founded in Bulawayo on April 30, 2022, by the directors of four prominent community choirs – Bulawayo Choristers Choir, Bulawayo Voices of Victory, Catholic Gregorian Choral Choir and Sweet Melodies Chorale — the festival has grown into one of Matabeleland’s most influential platforms for sacred and community choral music.

The festival was established to unite the choral fraternity across the Matabeleland region while promoting collaboration, musical excellence and spiritual expression through song. Since its inception, organisers have adopted a phased growth strategy, expanding the competition categories each year to accommodate a broader range of performers.

In its inaugural year, 2022, the festival focused exclusively on community choirs and hosted two landmark events — the official launch and the first competition. Building on that foundation, organisers introduced a High Schools category in 2023, creating opportunities for young singers to experience structured choral performance and competition. The festival grew further in 2024 with the addition of a Primary Schools category aimed at nurturing musical talent from an early age. In 2025, organisers expanded participation again by introducing a Percussion Bands category for children under the age of eight, designed to cultivate rhythmic awareness and early musical appreciation.

Now entering its fifth year, the 2026 edition is expected to be the largest yet, with organisers opening participation to ensembles from across Zimbabwe. This year’s festival will feature four competition categories — Percussion Bands, Primary School Choirs, High School Choirs and Adult Choirs.

Siyephambili Choral Festival chairperson Busani Nkomo said the repertoire selected for this year’s competition reflects the spiritual vision that has guided the festival since its inception.

“The repertoire for this year’s competition was prayerfully and musically considered. Each piece carries both a spiritual message and a musical challenge for the choirs. Our goal is not only to measure choral excellence in terms of blend, intonation, phrasing and interpretation, but also to uplift audiences through music that glorifies God,” said Nkomo.

For the Percussion Bands category, young performers will present Mina Ngingumntwana, a hymn drawn from Amagama Okuhlabelela and specially arranged for percussion ensemble by respected arranger Eric Tshuma.

Primary school choirs will perform the Xhosa hymn Ndabon’Othile Emthini, taken from UKrestu Esihlabelelweni, a piece known for its expressive melodic line and lyrical phrasing. High school choirs will interpret the Sesotho hymn Liphala, a composition that challenges singers with its intricate harmonies and balanced choral textures.

Adult choirs will tackle one of the most iconic works in Western sacred choral music — the renowned “Hallelujah Chorus” by George Frideric Handel, celebrated for its powerful harmonies and majestic musical structure. Nkomo said the selection of the piece symbolises the festival’s deeper spiritual purpose.

“Selecting the Hallelujah Chorus reflects our belief that the festival itself is guided by divine inspiration. It’s a monumental work that requires discipline, unity of tone and expressive conviction. These are the qualities we hope to cultivate among choirs participating in the festival,” he said.

Registration for participating choirs is now open, and organisers have urged interested groups to act quickly as performance slots are limited.

“Choirs are encouraged to register as soon as possible because interest has been overwhelming. Once all available performance slots are filled, registration will automatically close,” Nkomo said.

Beyond the musical showcase, the festival is also working to strengthen partnerships with the corporate sector. Organisers revealed that discussions with a major garments retail company are already at an advanced stage, with hopes that the partnership will enhance the scale and reach of this year’s event.