KTM Choir was ranked 52nd before the World Choir Games 2023 held at Gangnueng in the Republic of Korea from July 3-13.
The choir won a Gold medal in the Champions Competition under the Folklore with Accompaniment section. The Gaborone-based chorale’s exploits at the World Series have seen them elevate in to the 37th spot in the World Choir Rankings.
KTM Choir was the only African group at the competition and faced competition from musical groups from China, Vietnam, Thailand and Taipei amongst others. Although there is no prize money for the efforts, KTM remains the only local choral music group to have a world ranking. The musical group has further been given a number two rank in the Folklore music with Accompaniment category in the world behind China.
KTM Choir’s World Choir Games’ project manager, Charity Semere says the local chorale was full on display with their act and had caught the eye of both the adjudicators and the audience. The choir incorporated singing, dance, poetry and the use of musical instruments such as moropa, phala, dichakachaka and clapping of hands. KTM Choir is celebrating 30 years of existence this year.
The musical group will be involved in a number of charity events as part of celebrations locally. KTM Choir will also host a 30-year anniversary gala dinner in November. The musical group will return to the World Choir Games 2024 which will be held in Auckland, New Zealand. “Our gold medal automatically qualifies us for a championship participation at the next edition of the World Choir Games.
We will not go through the elimination qualification round but we will be moving straight in to the finale. So we are looking forward to that and we are hoping to add more categories to participate in,” Semere said.
