MYT Church Choir

Background

The choir was founded in 1998 by an announcement in church following which 10 people responded. An interim committee from this number was appointed to lead the newly formed choir.

First competitions were in the year 2000 under the leadership of Mr Edwin Mogatla. The year 2005 was the most successful year of the choir because it reached the inter-synodical level for the first time under the leadership Mr Veli Mbila.

Over the years the choir had a number of conductors, and it has been a rollercoaster ride. Some years were bad and others were good.



Vision

The vision of the MYT choir is that through melodic voices we praise and worship God, touch and entice souls to God, entertain and unite music lovers.

About us

This is a non-profit-making organisation made up of amateur choristers. Our reward is to praise God, give enjoyment to others - as well as ourselves - through the medium of song.

As a non-profit-making organisation, no form of remuneration is received by choristers.

The choir comprises of various members of society and only a few members study music.



Repertoire

Melodi Ya Tshwane choir offers the greatest experience of singing one can ever hope for. Not only do we sing from our hymn book – Hosanna - that comprises a variety of praising and worshipping songs in different languages but we also incorporate works of some German writers, Italian and Spanish music writers. We sing traditional choral music, opera and Hosanna music. We have been joined by a couple of German visitors and their melodic voices and singing experience distinguishes us from others.



Conductor

Kiewiet Pali

Mr Kiewiet Pali is a professional Music teacher and Opera singer. He was born in Petrus Steyn (Free State). He started singing in 1997 while he was at Bolata Senior Primary School and later started singing Opera at Thalabodiba Secondary School. His passion for music grew while singing for Qwaqwa Sings Adult Choir.

Mr Pali has given great performances throughout his singing experience at Wits University, Tshwane University of Technology, and the North West Premier Awards in Sun City. He also performed solo at the Riverside Hotel in Vanderbijl Park for Terror Lekota and other members of the government.

Another great year began for Mr Kiewiet Pali when he performed Aida with Opera Africa at the South African State Theatre and Johannesburg Civic Theatre and also on SABC1, and in February the same year he performed as a soloist at Kopano Hotel and Conference Center for the Department of Sports and Recreation. He then participated in the 2008 South African Choral Music Association (SACMA) competition and came third in the national championship. He got elected as an adjudicator for the 2008 Tirisano Schools Competition in the North West Province. The same year he performed Brindisi by Verdi on SABC1 with Tshwane University of Technology Choir. At the end of that year he was invited on SABC for music criticism. He was working as chorus under The Black Tie Ensemble.

In 2009 June he participated in the South African Tertiary Institution Choral Association (SATICA) where he obtained second position in tenor solo category. The same year Pali Kiewiet completed his B-Tech in Vocal Art Pedagogy at Tshwane University of Technology.

In 2010 he was an adjudicator for South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod. He adjudicated at the Absa Music Competition in Pretoria. He also adjudicated at the Lutheran Church Choral Competition. The same year he facilitated the musical workshop for the Lutheran Church at the North West Province.

Currently he is a part-time lecturer for the music theory, aural, vocal pedagogy and singing technique at Tshwane University of Technology. His voice mentor is Mr Pierre Du Toit.

He is a musical director and choir conductor at Melodi ya Tshwane Church in Pretoria assisted by Mr Herbert Phahlane. They are often invited to act as adjudicators in various performances across the country.

Committee

The choir has an established governing committee that oversees matters of the choir. The committee was elected by a vote of its members and is structured as follows:

Chairperson : Miss Tumelo Mabilo ( tumelomabilo@yahoo.com )

Vice Chairperson : Mr Uli Kochsiek ( rieke-kochsiek@hotmail.de )

Secretary : Miss Charity Makgoba ( makgobatc@gmail.com )

Vice Secretary : Mr Tshidiso Nthakhe ( mc.pimp07@gmail.com )

Treasurer : Miss Thabang Makgakga ( thabangmak@statssa.gov.za )

This committee strives to recruit and ensure that goals of the choir are achieved. It is a transparent committee that considers views of other members. We believe that the choir is our family away from home and that is where our comfort is coming from.

Rehearsals

The choir holds its rehearsals at Melodi Ya Tshwane church building at corner Vermeulen and Bosman streets on Wednesday evenings at 17:30, sometimes on Saturday afternoons, Sunday mornings at 9:30 and sometimes after the church service.

All are welcome to join as we do not discriminate against anyone and are not only restricted to members of the church to become members.