A great video from The Appalachian Online with crowd reaction to the Choir’s concert on January 28 at Appalachian State University.

There are short snippets from the concert as well as a quick soundbyte from Lungi.

October 20, 2011
By Carrie Catterall
The Warwick Courier

I EXPECTED to experience something really special when I went to see the Soweto Gospel Choir at Warwick Arts Centre of Thursday night, and I wasn’t let down.

The spirit from the performers filled every corner of the room and the warm, rich and full voices harmonised in a way that gave me goose pimples.

The choir was formed to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music and the 24 singers, under the direction of Beverly Bryer, did just that.

Many people in the audience stood up and danced just like those on stage, while others just took the sound in. Read the rest of this entry »

By Emma Tilley
TIGwhatson
October 17, 2011

YOU cannot fail to have a smile on your face after watching a performance by the Soweto Gospel Choir.

The 24-strong group of singers, dancers and musicians gathered on the stage of the newly restored Everyman and it proved to be a colourful explosion of gospel singing at its best.

They brought their new show, African Grace, to Cheltenham for the end of a sell out tour around the UK.

With a mixture of traditional songs and contemporary African works, the South African choir had the entire audience on their feet at the end, clapping and waving hands in the air.

At the beginning, one of the members informed everyone the show features songs depicting all aspects of grace, beauty and love.

Their bright African costumes were absolutely stunning.

Following the call-and-response pattern of traditional African music, singers took turns to step forward and lead the choir, revealing voices that were as individual and distinctive as their costumes. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jeanti St Clair
ABC North Coast NSW
June 24, 2011

Isn’t it great to see a live music show which shakes our mellow North Coast audiences out of their seats? Over the last week, I’ve lucky enough to be at two gigs which blew the audience away. And such different shows they were.

Last Friday, I found myself at Lismore City Hall to see the Soweto Gospel Choir’s African Grace show and then on Saturday, I headed across to Mullumbimby to hear the final performance of A Storm in A Teacup, a very special collaboration between a bunch of terrific Australian alt-folk and indie music performers – but more on that shortly.

I don’t think I have ever seen the Lismore City Hall so packed to the gills as it was last Friday.

Busloads of people poured in to see this Grammy Award-winning choir who hail from the sprawling black South Western Townships on the outskirts of Johannesburg in South Africa. The Soweto Gospel Choir has been on a 35-town tour around Australia since May and good on them for including many regional towns on their list. Read the rest of this entry »

Denise Carter
June 17, 2011
The Cairns Post

The Soweto Gospel Choir’s performance at the Civic Theatre last night (June 16) was nothing short of magnificent.

The show began with the choir singing in the auditorium behind the audience before making their way to the stage.

Everything from the singing to the dancing and music to the colours of the costumes was exuberant and exciting.

It was hard to believe the 26-strong cast weren’t individually radio-miked, so strong was the sound.

The lead singers were fantastic.

One female songstress would give Aretha Franklin a run for her money while another could be a strong contender for the female lead in Jesus Christ Superstar. Read the rest of this entry »

By Joanna Bowen
Australian Stage
Friday, 03 June 2011

African Grace is a celebration of the supreme joy of music, life, and love, and the beauty of human voices, movement and collaboration. The energy of the Soweto Gospel Choir is truly amazing, their exuberance infectious. For these incredibly talented South Africans, the word “grace” refers to the blessings bestowed by God on his people, and an aesthetic beauty of form, and so perfectly embodies the spirit of the choir.

Distinctly different from the choral singing that many of us are used to (especially in religious settings), this choir loves to move, and dancing seems as much a part of their singing as breathing. Every song incorporates African dancing – chaotic, frenetic movements, moving with and making the beats. The dancers’ grins show both their enjoyment of their art and the sense of fun that flows throughout the choir. Among their astounding list of talents, the choir has the gift of communication, of performing to, to just for their audience. Every note, every gesture and movement is an act of sharing joy, laughter and wonderment.

Superb voices are to be expected from a choir of such renown, and we are not disappointed. Every member of the choir has one or many solo moments in which to display their vocals, supported by the rest. As much as we love the solo voices, we long for more moments of full-blown oneness, all voices raised together to an apex. We receive such a moment at the end of the show, when a choir leader urges the whole audience to stand and sing and dance along. Finally the choir really lets loose and the energy of the building skyrockets. Read the rest of this entry »