The Song of the Carnivores - World Premiere

The world premiere of Song of the Carnivores, featuring over 500 performers - choirs of schoolchildren from across Bulawayo as well as local and international musicians, took place at Bulawayo's Large City Hall on Thursday 24 May as part of the Bulawayo Music Festival. The music was composed by Richard Sisson and the event was compered by Petroc Trelawny.
Unfortunately, towards the end of the second performance that night, Petroc was called off the stage and arrested for volunteering his services towards the event without a work permit. He later fell while in police custody, fracturing his arm, and was transferred under guard to hospital on 26 May. On 29 May, it is reported that charges have been dropped and that he is to be released.
The concert is part of the wider Song of the Carnivores project, which brings together poetry, music, art and conservation. The first stage was a poetry competition, organised by 'amaBooks, some of the words from the winning entries being incorporated into the lyrics. A series of talks on the five carnivores - Lion, Leopard, Wild Dog, Hyena and Cheetah - followed. An art competition amongst schoolchildren is in progress, and a choral version of Richard Sisson's composition will be performed during the Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo in September.


Drew Shaw's video of the first performance can be seen on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWbqC74xrgU)

Song of the Carnivores School Competition

The prize-giving ceremony for the schools component of the Song of the Carnivores Lyric Writing Competition was held on 29 November at the Academy of Music in Bulawayo. The four winners from the Bulawayo schools are shown in the photograph - the overall winner being Jordan Edwards of Whitestone School.

The competition was organised and judged by 'amaBooks and the prizes were presented by Brian Jones of 'amaBooks and Maureen Stewart British Council Zimbabwe. Dr Netty Purchase, the coordinator of the project, talked to the audience about the importance of the five carnivores - Cheetah, Leopard, Wild Dog, Spotted Hyena and Lion - during the ceremony.

The entries from the four winners will be considered, together with the winning entries from the adult competition - from Edgar Langeveldt and Peggy Lendrum, to be put to music by composer Richard Sisson and performed during the Bulawayo Music Festival in 2012.