Atelier 2 – Multicultural Music
African and Diaspora Choral Music
This ateliers aims at mixed youth choirs with an age range from 12 to 20 years of age and will have an easy to medium level of difficulty.
Conductor: Ken Wakia [KE]
An alumnus of Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya, Ken Wakia also studied choral conducting with Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe at the University of Miami in Florida, U.S.A., as a Fulbright Scholar where he co-led the university’s women’s choir. He represented Kenya in the World Youth Choir 1997 – 2000 and was one of the two conductors of this choir in 2017.
Ken started his conducting career at Kenyatta University with Annetta Miller as his mentor. He is the founding director of one of Kenya’s top choral groups and internationally acclaimed the Nairobi Chamber Chorus, and the Safaricom choir. Ken has conducted choirs internationally in the US and Europe including the World Youth Choir in 2017 which toured the Balkan States. He is the president of the Kenya Choral Directors Trust.
Besides his active musical life, he currently promotes local and international culture and education as the Cultural and Educational Affairs Specialist for the U.S. Embassy, Nairobi.
Repertoire
Si ni Moja, Jacob Naverud
Ukuthula
Kingli, Stacey Gibbs
Tuba, Michael Barrett
Participating choirs:
Young Voices Rheinbach [DE]
The YOUNG VOICES are the youth choir of the protestant church of Rheinbach. Founded in 2004, the choir today is made up of over 50 singers between 11 and 20 years of age, conducted by church musician Mascha Korn. The main focus lies with modern, polyphonic religious choral music, but the YOUNG VOICES regularly collaborate with the church choir and orchestra of Rheinbach to stage bigger classics works of choral music. About every other year, they stage a musical in the municipal theatre of Rheinbach. They go once a year for an intensive weekend rehearsal to prepare for concerts. They also regularly perform during service in the protestant church of Rheinbach.
Junior Choir of Otto-Kühne-Schule Bonn [DE]
The Otto-Kühne-Schule Bonn/Bad Godesberg lays a big focus on musical education. Over 200 students are part of choral classes, vocal courses and four choirs that have won several prizes in national competitions over the last few years. There is a strong choral tradition at this private progressive school which dates back to the school’s foundation in 1883.
The 60 singers of the junior choirs normally rehearse separately in girls’ and boys’ choirs. The repertoire consists of many different genres, ranging from pop arrangements to musicals, canons and classic literature, both a cappella and with piano accompaniment.
The junior choirs are conducted by Alexandra and Dietrich Thomas.
Golden Voices Bonn [DE]
The youth choir ‘Golden Voices’ is a choral group, belonging to the protestant St. John’s Church of Bad Godesberg. It is part of the church’s youth offer, comprising about 20 singers at the moment, most of them have been part of other of the church’s music groups before. Conducted by church musician Christoph Gießer, the choir regularly perform during the services and other parochial events.
The choir has also been staging various musicals in collaboration with a drama teacher. The vocal coach of the choir is Helgard Rehders.
Rehearsal Venue:
Trinitatis Church | Brahmsstraße 14, 53121 Bonn