A letter from the conductor: a glance back at 2022

As with most choirs, the Cgals Chamber Choir starts afresh every year at the beginning of the year after a well-deserved break over the Christmas holidays.

2022 saw some new members joining the choir and the choir working towards excellent singing. As from April 1, 2022, the choir gave one concert a month to work on stage presentation and shaping the competition pieces for the “Sing for Gold” Competition in Calella, Spain.

We practiced at different venues all over Swakopmund and Walvis Bay and even had workshops with our audiences. Covid -19 was still a problem well into June of 2022, with 8 members not able to sing in the June concert, all positive at that time with the terrible virus!

The choir also had the opportunity to perform with the wonderful African Acapella men’s ensemble in July of 2022 and with the Tygerberg Children’s choir on October 3, just days before leaving for Spain.

The trip to Spain was one of the highlights of the Cgals existence!

From staying in the wonderful Hotel Check-in Garbi where we felt right at home (the staff even organized a rehearsal venue on site in their old cellar), experiencing a reality check as we shared the hotel with Ukrainian mothers and children refugees,  two tours to Barcelona and one trip to Rupit and Besalu, performing in the Santa Maria del Mar, an individual coaching session with a new choir friend Thomas Kreiling, achieving a Silver medal in our Musica Sacra and missing the Gold medal in Chamber choir with less than a point! Another highlight was performing in the Església de Santa Maria i Sant Nic0lau church in the special concert “Midnight Sounds"  with some of the best choirs who attended the competition.

Our year ended with a wonderful Christmas concert, an excellent yearend function in Walvis Bay and singing at the wedding of one of our Cgals members of 2013 – 2015. What a privilege to share Margariet’s wedding experience with her!