10 Sep 2013

The Botswana Choral Music Association (BOCMA) has urged its members to affiliate and take pride in the association.

This was said by the association’s president, Leremela Bogosing when addressing delegates from BOCMA affiliates in Serowe over the weekend. The delegates were drawn from 15 regions across the country.

Bogosing asked members to affiliate to the association so that they could speak with one voice. That, he said, was the one sure way of being taken seriously like other arts and culture genre.

He lamented that there were some people who decided to form their own groups, associations and companies in the pretext they were doing it for the development of choral music when in fact they were pushing their own selfish agendas. Bogosing warned the delegates that such behaviour could only be to the detriment of choral music and eventual demise.

He called on the delegates to help their members to appreciate that BOCMA was formed to look out for their best interests and that it would not discriminate against anyone. Choral choirs drew members from the community, church, tertiary and corporate choirs amongst others.

Still at the weekend meeting, delegates were briefed on the 2013 choral music festival billed for end of the year in Gaborone. The public relations officer of the association, Bothasitse said since it was the first festival since the association was formed, it would be open for every choir at national level.

However, there would be auditions for the 2014 festival.  She said they had songs and had three sections to allow choirs variety to choose from. Each choir will be required to pay a P500 registration fee. ENDS