By Dara Harper
“Why have you traveled so far to be here? Why are you here?” Rev. Akhona Masiza asked the Hendricks Chapel Choir, local choirs and concert-goers at the Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. “The world is out of tune. And yet, I marvel at the sight in this room.”
And, it was truly marvelous. In May, over 50 members of the Hendricks Chapel Choir (HCC) visited South Africa, the choir’s first-ever visit to the African continent. The HCC performed six times in 11 days, from Johannesburg to Cape Town and several places in between.
In the weeks before the journey, HCC Director José “Peppie” Calvar, professor in the Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, set the tone for the journey for the choir and the greater Syracuse University community. “During these trips, the choir is building a global network of kindness that lasts for a lifetime,” Calvar said to the crowd at their April 25 preview concert in Hendricks Chapel. “Our choir students will develop lasting connections with each other and with the South African students they meet along the way.”
Lasting Connections and Beautiful Concerts
The first dual-billed concert featured the University of Johannesburg Choir and the HCC. The two choirs visited as peers, compared notes and broke bread before sharing the stage. Each choir performed separately and later combined their voices to sing “Tshotsholoza,” a well-known South African song traditionally sung by migrant workers riding the train to gold mines. This lively, upbeat song featured baritone Samuel Mincey ’28.
Next up, the choir visited the Aan-die-Berg Gemeente, a Dutch Reformed (NG) church in Randburg to share choral and organ music with the Conwonnite Choir. Baritone Nick Dekaney ’26 sang his first solo in South Africa at this show, singing “Hlohonofatsa,” a traditional South African song.
The next day, the HCC visited Rietondale High School, where the members were greeted by three students looking very professional in maroon vests and ties, crisp white shirts and black pants. The students were thrilled to welcome the HCC, whose members were , wearing Hendricks Chapel’s “be kind.” shirts. The energy was high and everyone started chatting immediately. One student, Destiny, declared that she plans to sing forever because hearing the HCC was so inspiring.
“An experience I will carry with me is singing with the Rietondale High School Choir,” said Aurelia Harp ’28. “Each and every student in that choir carries a true passion for music and everyone wanted to sing. The students had such a positive energy and it made me feel very welcome in their community and excited to sing.”
Learning About the Culture and History of South Africa Between Concerts
South Africa has a complicated and rich history, along with 12 official languages. HCC members picked up greetings and pleasantries in Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans despite English being widely used throughout the country. Students often donned their “be kind.” shirts, wearing their hearts on their sleeves, both figuratively and literally.
The HCC visited the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela’s house and Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s house in Soweto; went on a safari in Pilanesburg, visited the Union Buildings in Pretoria, and hiked in the Drakensberg Mountains all before heading farther west to Cape Town.
A Concert in Pietermaritzburg and Workshop with the Drakensburg Boys’ Choir
The HCC visited Pietermartizburg for an evening of song and worship at the Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary. The seminary president, Dr. Rowanne Marie, welcomed the choir, and members were warmly greeted by Professor R. Simangaliso Kumalo of the University of KwaZulu Natal, who mentored the Rev. Brian Konkol, former vice president and dean of Hendricks Chapel.
The Rev. Akhona Masiza asked the HCC members why they had traveled so far to be there. He went on to suggest that they were there to relearn the dance of love and to make God known again as song. “All that Jesus prays for is that we become one. A God who is a community,” he said.
This performance of several choirs was a gift to all. Soprano Eleanor Cjzakowski ’24 G’29 captivated the audience with the traditional spiritual hymn “I’ve Been in the Storm So Long,” with Katherine Smyth conducting.
The evening also held a surprise for Dara Harper, communications manager for Hendricks Chapel and creator of the “be kind.” shirts. Harper was introduced to local author Lindokuhle Naphtalie Msibi, who wrote a book entitled, “Be Kind: Values of Ubuntu.” Luckily, there was an extra shirt in Harper’s pack that she gifted to the author. He then returned with a copy of the book and his own “Be Kind” shirt as a gift for her.
On the following day, Professor Kumalo took the choir on a personal tour to a natural history museum and an elementary school in the Tumbleweed Township, where the young students sang for the HCC members. Brentwood United Methodist Church of Tennessee has supported the school and church in the Tumbleweed Township since 2003. When Kumalo attended the Duke Divinity School, he became connected with the church, which has now become a lasting 24-year partnership.
If you mention the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir in South Africa, people instantly start raving about this incredible group of young men who are accepted between the ages of 9-15 at Drakensberg, an internationally-acclaimed, non-profit boarding school situated in the Champagne Valley of the Central Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. They must wait for 6-12 months before being allowed to perform in concerts. Many of their students have gone on to local fame and others, like Warren Driscoll, have gone on to work globally. Driscoll is in a starring role as Freddie Mercury in Showtime Australia’s long-running stage show “Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic.” The choirs combined for vocal and physical warmups and exchanged songs, sang “Tshotsholoza” together and our choir gave the students “be kind.” stickers!
Cape Town: The Final Leg of the Tour
After a short flight to Cape Town, the Choir took a short rest and headed out for sight-seeing. After a trip to Table Mountain and a visit to see the protected colony of African penguins at Boulders Beach, the choir got ready for their last show of the tour. Since several of the students graduated just a week before the trip, this last show wasn’t just the last of the tour, it was the last time they would sing together in their current formation.
The final concert was held at St. George’s Cathedral, which has a rich history in the Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa. The cathedral, directed for many years by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, shares many similarities with Hendricks Chapel. The iconic Anglican church is considered a community space and was a cultural connection point during apartheid.
Much like Hendricks Chapel of Syracuse University, which is known as a “home for all faiths and place for all people,” the Cathedral is known as a place of prayer and dedicated worship, and a space where people of all faiths, Christian, Jew, Muslim and Hindu, meet in common acceptance of one another. During the struggle against apartheid, it became known as the ‘People’s Cathedral’ for its witness against oppressive and unjust laws.
The concert paired the Hendricks Chapel Choir with the University of the Western Cape Creative Arts Choir. Zolani Mahola, a well-known South African musician, was thrilled to hear the traditional isiXhosa tune “Bawo” sung by both groups. Also, with the Cathedral’s stunning organ, our organists Dr. Anne Laver, Annie Spink G’26 and Michael Guarneiri ’28 were able to show their incredible skills during such songs as “Gloria” and “O Sing Unto the Lord.”
At the end of the concert, the Western Cape choir students sang a blessing over our Syracuse students before running off to take selfies with Zolani. The vibrations were at an all-time high for both groups and the evening led the Choir off to the wrap-up dinner at Marco’s African Place, which served ostrich, kudu, springbok and other local favorites. A band played giant xylophones and sang “Happy birthday” to Dr. Laver, the fourth birthday we celebrated during the trip.
With so many birthdays and graduations to celebrate, no one expected the surprise announcement at dinner that Bryce Meuschke G’26 yelled out, “I got the job!” Dr. Calvar and the choir erupted in applause at these four magical words.
Last Words from Choir Director Dr. Calvar
“One of the things we hope with trips like this is for you to forge lasting friendships with each other,” said Dr. Calvar. “The Hendricks Chapel Choir has a long legacy of these trips because people a long time ago had a great experience and they later gave a gift to support this trip. At some point we hope you can help the Choir travel again and create new experiences.”
Hendricks Chapel Choir continues to grow and is looking forward to celebrating Hendricks Chapel’s upcoming 100th anniversary with a tour to New Zealand in 2030. To learn more about the choir and their many concerts both at Syracuse University and around the globe, visit the Hendricks Chapel website.
The Choir is grateful to Sean Berg of Sechrist Travel for his expertise in planning the trip and performances. Local guides and bus drivers, Lucky, John, Tammy and Priggi, were incredibly supportive and knowledgeable to our group as they learned the ins and outs of South Africa.
Special thanks to all the donors who supported this incredible trip! If you’re interested, you can donate to the Hendricks Chapel Choir on our website. Calvar thoughtfully recited a line from the Prayer of St. Francis to the choir: “It is in giving of ourselves that we receive.”
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Hendricks Chapel, the spiritual heart of Syracuse University, is the student-centered global home for religious, spiritual, moral and ethical life. Established in 1930 as a home for all faiths and place for all people, the chapel hosts 15 chaplains, more than 25 religious and spiritual groups, and sponsors over 2,000 programs for more than 1,000,000 annual attendees. Hendricks Chapel employs student workers, supports musical ensembles, offers support through the Student Opportunity Fund and Coach Mac Food Pantry and partners throughout the campus community to advance academic excellence at a university welcoming to all. As a central contributor to holistic life and learning at Syracuse University, Hendricks Chapel helps to prepare engaged citizens, scholars and leaders for participation in a changing global society. For more information, visit chapel.syracuse.edu.