Folk music for children’s choirs : the challenges and benefits of cultural diversity

Abstract

In this article we investigate ‘folk’ music in the choral repertoire of children’s choirs as a way of building bridges between diverse cultures within the context of regional children’s choirs, with specific reference to the University of Pretoria Jacaranda Children’s Choir, which performs under the auspices of the University of Pretoria, as a sample case study. This descriptive qualitative study investigates the challenges and benefits of including folk music in the repertoire of children’s choirs in South Africa, while also taking into account the views of internationally recognised conductors of overseas children’s choirs. We address challenges in preserving the authentic character of folk music in choral performances, issues regarding transcribing African folk music, copyright, and the availability of scores and audio-visual media We also investigate the extent to which folk music is included in programmes of South African children’s choirs and ways in which folk music as choral repertoire can play a role in promoting the transformation process in South Africa.