After its acclaimed premier at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in France, Grace Notes is being presented for the first time in Cape Town.
It’s been a busy few years for Grace Notes’ musical curator and director Thuthuka Sibisi since he was chorus master for Cape Town Opera (Il Viaggo a Reims in 2014 and Four: 30 in 2015).
He was Musical Director for the premier of Philip Miller’s Pulling Numbers at the Aliens Centre for Contemporary Art in Beijing, China. In 2016 he made his European debut as co-composer (alongside Miller) in William Kentridge’s Triumphs & Laments in Rome, Italy.
Sibisi wrote to CTO from London where he’s finishing his Masters in Theatre Making at Goldsmiths, University of London:
“Thanks to the support and encouragement of Cape Town Opera, I went on an adventure of musical discovery. Most of pieces in Grace Notes are those that thrill and fascinate me, and I wanted to share these with a wider audience who may not necessarily have access to them.
This music has an enchanting complexity that reveals itself slowly over time. Sometimes this can deter audiences who fear they might not understand it; but if you just allow yourself to relax and listen there is just a sense of delight and happiness at this lovely sound.
I wouldn’t say I’m religious but this music is quite sublime, offering a glimpse of the divine and otherworldliness.”
The Grace Notes performance is by 12 members of the Cape Town Opera Chorus. It combines western and African spiritual music, including Ave Verum Corpus by William Byrd, The Deer’s Cry by Arvo Part and Meguru, a Sotho traditional piece.
What: Grace Notes
Where and when: St George’s Cathedral on 13 and 20 July/St John’s Church on 27 July
Book: email info@capetownopera.co.za and you will receive payment details
WS
