Opera singer Angela Kerrison to mesmerise Maitisong audience
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Sunday September 1, 2024 06:00
The Ramotswa-born opera singer will share the stage with local classical music artists such as Henry Nyatshane and the Sopranos, Ogone Pilane and One Motlhankane in what will be an emotional return to the local stage. “It is a very emotional time being back, but also extremely exciting. Putting together a concert takes many hands and I’m thrilled that I’ve found like-minded people to help and guide me on this journey. 'I delayed returning home to perform for many reasons; fear of not being good enough, fear of failure, fear of leaving my children alone in Switzerland, fear that no one would come to the concerts. But life is too short to worry all the time. The spark was ignited by a fellow singer in March and has grown into a rollercoaster ride of experience, learning and adventure,” she told Arts&Culture in an interview. Angela Kerrisson explained that the event’s programme will mostly be classical although it will get brighter and lighter after an interval. She promised the audience to look forward to a spirited and captivating performance including arias by Handel, Mozart, Verdi and Puccini. “In the second half we’ll have Bernstein, Gershwin and others. We will sing in Italian and English and I will sing some operetta songs which will be in German. I’ve added them to the programme because the last few years I’ve been heavily involved in performing operettas in Switzerland. It’s sung operatically but there’s spoken dialogue in between.
Opera light as some people call it. It is very fun and sometimes wild,” she added. The singer further indicated that Cape Town-based pianist, José Dias, will also play some solos as well as accompanying the singers. Additionally, she expressed excitement to perform with three Batswana singers alongside her. “Tenor Henry Nyatshane and the Sopranos, One Motlhankane and Ogone Pilane, I’m thrilled that they have offered the time to be part of this come back concert. I feel that there are incredible voices here in Botswana. But that they need nurturing and performance opportunities, which they can get by working with experienced professional musicians and singing teachers. I’ve been in the business for almost three decades and I still have regular singing lessons to maintain my form. The learning never ends. I have performed on countless stages and worked with incredible musicians. I’d like that for Batswana singers too,” she added.
Furthermore, she stated that it is not easy to find consistent work overseas, so her aim is to create a network of people in South Africa and in Europe to work with local interested singers and create a platform for them. She said while this is a big endeavour, however, it is a cause that speaks to her heart and her longing to serve her country of birth. She explained that they have decided to keep the Masterclasses a small affair at a private location. “Next year we intend to extend it and make it bigger and open to the public with a performance for the participants of the Masterclasses. Getting sponsorship has been tricky this year. I hope people will see that we are a serious operation with only good intentions and that sponsorship will be more forthcoming. We will record aspects of the Masterclass for social media. But if anyone is truly interested in sitting in on the sessions, which will be lead by myself and José Dias, they are welcome to call Andy Batshogile for further information,” she added.