Bulawayo Music Festival begins

BULAWAYO will today host 21 international musicians as the eighth edition of the Bulawayo Music Festival kicks off.

A Celebration of Pop Concert will be held in the evening at the Zimbabwe Academy of  Music.

Tomorrow there will be a World Premiere  Performance, where 500 school children will perform the Song of the Carnivores as the highlight of the festival.

On Friday, Africa Day, there will be a Celebration of Africa Concert.

The music festival will end on Sunday with a Celebration of Gospel music concert.

Pupils from Mtshede, Mzilikazi, Coghlan, and Whitestone primary schools, and Girls College, Christian Brothers College and Sizane high schools will participate in the festival.

In an interview recently, principal of Zimbabwe Academy of Music, Michael Bullivant, said preparations were in place and were at an advanced stage.

He said tickets for the opening show were selling like hot cakes and the organisers expected a packed auditorium.

"There will be 500 children involved in the festival and schools will participate and give different acts," said Bullivant.

He said there will be three major highlights during the festival namely Carmina Burana, Song of the Carnivores and a final orchestral concert.

"The performances during the festival will detail about 150-plus children's choirs with two pianos.

The Song of the Carnivores by Richard Sission will bring together children from schools in both eastern and western suburbs, as well as a host of professional musicians," said Bullivant.

He said the Prince Edward High School Jazz group from Harare will be at the festival as well as Hellenic High School.

"We have invited Prince Edward High Jazz Group to perform at the concert. They will add more flavour to the show," said Bullivant.

He said on Africa Day there will be a big celebration.

The Bulawayo Music Festival has been popular in the school curriculum in the past years but due to financial constraints it has been an on-and-off affair.

This year it promises to be a festival to remember.

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