University of Zululand Choir members to perform at Appalachian

Posted Sept. 1, 2015 at 4:28 p.m.

BOONE—Fourteen singers and the director from the award-winning University of Zululand Choir will be in residency Sept. 4-17 at Appalachian State University with performances on campus Sept. 9 and 16. The choir also will perform Sept. 11 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Boone.

The choir was established in 2001 in Durban, the third-largest city in South Africa. The choir sings a variety of compositions, from Afro gospel, jazz and soul to traditional, indigenous music and opera. They are winners of the 2013, 2014 and 2015 National Champions in Arts and Culture choir competitions, and hold additional honors.

The University of Zululand is one of Appalachian’s international partners. Director Bhekani Buthelezi was a visiting scholar at Appalachian in 2014. During his campus residency, he worked with choirs and conductors in the Hayes School of Music and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

The visit is a result of the partnership between Appalachian and the University of Zululand. Members of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Boone are serving as host families, providing lodging and food. The choir will accept donations at the Sept. 11 concert and sales of their CDs will help pay for some personal expenses during their time in the U.S.

The choir’s public events are:

A concert at Cascade’s Café on the first floor of Plemmons Student Union Sept. 9 from 1:15- 2 p.m.
A program of South African music and dancing as part of a cultural exchange Sept. 10 from 8-10 p.m. at Broadstone recreational facility in Valle Crucis.
A performance Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Boone.
A performance Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. in Broyhill Music Center’s Rosen Concert Hall. A reception will follow.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.