14 July: Awards Ceremony at World Choir Games

Your sons/brothers/friends are World Champions in the category Scenic Folklore!

Congratulations to Bernard, Bonita, Warren and Brigette on a successful tour and all the hours of hard work, organisation and preparation that went into getting the boys ready for the World Choir Games and the international stage - it was worth it.

The boys are well loved here in the United States.

The day started with breakfast and the same question, “Ma’am do you think we have won?” Difficult to try and predict as you do not have the opportunity to view your opponents/competition. The audience loved the boys giving them two standing ovations each time they performed, but we did not know how the judges would react and score.

We walked to the arena for the awards ceremony – Bank Arena –seems to be an ice rink or ice hockey venue (minus the ice, of course). We heard that there would be 5 categories announced and that Scenic Folklore was to be the Fourth Category in the line-up. The first three categories had 16, 18 and 22 choirs respectively and then the 18 choirs of the Scenic Folklore category was upon us. The tension grew as the lowest mark was 66% and a Silver Medal, finally we reached the gold medal winners and each time a choir whose name started with a “K” was read out the boys gasped. 

The winners from 2010 were announced as gold medal winners and then the Chinese Experimental School were announced, our two biggest competitors. The excitement rose, but the boys were too scared to believe it. Then they announced the WCG Champions and we knew without a doubt that we had won! When Kearsney’s name was read out the boys erupted/exploded into a mass of excited movement, like fast flowing lava, towards the stage. They hugged each other, shouted in joy, waved the SA flag and the Kearsney Flag. The audience was most gracious in their congratulatory clapping and cheering. Then our flag was raised and the boys linked arms and sang the national anthem with pride and pleasure. Oh, how wonderful it would be if all South Africans could have seen our boys; their unity, determination and brotherhood – it was a very proud moment. You will be able to witness each and every second as Eliane Sussman has videoed the ceremony and all the concerts and all the experiences in between!



All our pics from Awards Ceremony

We were escorted out of the arena and directly to the performance centre. A beautiful theatre built primarily for singing. We were fed and put into a holding room for three hours. Some boys just lay on the carpet and slept! I went into the auditorium with Eliane to record the performance and once again the boys were applauded even as they placed their instruments on the stage. Then for one last time they pulled on their resources and gave another energetic performance, although the voices are definitely on their last legs – plenty more bases now than when we left home!! They received two standing ovations, no polite standing, but a solid mass- movement of appreciation from three tiers of balconies and the auditorium of the theatre, 1000s of people. On hearing we were with the choir some reporters came backstage and interviewed the boys. Even walking back to the hotel, cars were hooted and a thumbs up given by the occupants.

We have supper and then the Closing Ceremony – the boys will have some free time in which to socialise and pack as we will head off at 4am tomorrow morning.