Date: 13/07/2003
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Asmal: Tirisano school choral eisteddfod
SPEECH BY PROFESSOR KADER ASMAL, MP, MINISTER OF EDUCATION, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 3rd TIRISANO SCHOOL CHORAL EISTEDDFOD, The Dome, Northgate, Randburg, 13 July 2003
Director of ceremonies,
MECs,
Miss Wendy Lucas-Bull,
CEO of First National Bank,
Heads of Departments,
Officials,
Adjudicators,
Conductors,
Choristers,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Molweni, Sanibonani, Dumelang, Ndi masiari, Thobela, Lotjhani, Absheni, Goeie dag, Good afternoon.
How wonderful it is to live in a free country, a country where children can be young again, where they can freely explore their talents, where they can be children again, free in spirit, and able to dream again, to explore, to probe, to push themselves to the limit. How nice it is to live in a country of possibilities, where one can reach the highest note possible, and get down to the lowest bass note there is, and fulfil ones dreams, bringing pleasure, not only to ones self, but to the nation as a whole.
Our presence here today, once again acts as an answer to a cry from the heart from the young people of our country, so ably captured in a poem by one Mayihlome Tshwete, son of the late freedom fighter, and Minister, comrade Steve Tshwete, "Let us be Heard" when he says:
We are the youth of the worldwide
Turbulent times.
In a world of dangerous minds,
Mass murderous crimes,
Gruesome genocides, high homicides,
Racial divides and poverty's cries,
Political lies.
The youth of blindfolded eyes
Minds moulded by
The supposedly wise,
Who can't even prevent wars
But claim peace is their cause.
We are the youth of years thousands
Product of our surroundings
Merely adapting to the habitat
Clearly living the political aftermath
Of colonisation and apartheid's path
We are the youth you ignore
But say you do everything for
Our windows are explicit twisted newspapers.
We are your children; we are what you make us
LET US BE HEARD.
We are here to hear these young people, to listen to their incredible voices, to celebrate their youthfulness, and to give them a platform to demonstrate the heights they can climb to in their sound. And all this has become possible for us to do, in spite of the challenges of the world we live in today, as described by Mayihlome, because of ten years of our freedom.
The song we are singing today, is not a song of war, of sadness, of despair, of hope, of longing, that we sang for many decades in our camps, our prisons, our mines, our roads, our farms and plantations. It is not that song of war that we sang in foreign lands, when we mobilised the people of the world against the evil system of apartheid. It is not the song we sang at funeral after funeral, as we buried our brothers, sisters, and fellow combatants. The song we sing today is a song of peace, of security for all, of freedom, of dignity for all. It is a song of prosperity, of hope, of joy, of celebration. And we have a lot to celebrate.
And so Ladies and Gentlemen, It is indeed an honour for me to join these young people in song, at this third Tirisano School Eisteddfod, to witness and to celebrate the growth of a vision of working together. In the three years this eisteddfod has been organised, we have managed to get learners, educators, official, and parents working together to produce quality results, as is demonstrated by the ever improving standard of the choirs represented here this weekend. The manner, in which these conductors have managed to get all these voices to blend, is symbolic of what is possible if we in education can get together and create harmony. Working together, pulling our efforts together, can and is helping us create a system of education second to none in reach, and in depth. The quality of the voices we are listening to these last three days is symbolic, not only of what we as a country are capable of if we work together, but also of the talents we have in our continent, which when harnessed and put to good use, will lead us to prosperity and a better life for all, a true African Renaissance.
In just three years, we have transformed the nature and scope of choral music in schools in this country. We have moved from a plethora of music events competing against each other, with sponsors tripping against one another, to get the best branding and marketing opportunities, with very little focus on the developmental aspects of the music programmes they were involved in, to a single music eisteddfod, which encompasses all our people, from different sectors of our community, and provides our learners with an opportunity to showcase their music talents, and match them against other learners, in a spirit of mutual enhancement and encouragement, while at the same time benefiting from the developmental elements of the competition, including the identification of talent for further development in higher education. This eisteddfod has become truly South African, not only in character, but also in that it now represents the pinnacle of musical talent showcasing in the area of choral music in this country.
I am also pleased to see that the number of schools participating is increasing from year to year, and that schools are now entering the different categories, regardless of their background. For example, I am told this year that there are schools which were not traditionally known to prefer the own choice category, which are now participating in that category too. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage more schools, especially in the former white and Indian areas, to join this wonderful event. The standard is indeed very high, and the level of competition therefore intimidating. But what is more important is not the competition, though there is an added bonus to it, but the mere fact of entry to join other fellow students in entertaining South Africa.
I am also pleased to learn once again that my Department and FNB have agreed to subsidise the national soloists who will be identified through this eisteddfod, to study with identified higher education institutions. Our country needs more Sbongile Mngomas, and Khumalos, and Mimi Coetzees. I can also see that there are many aspirant Pavarotti's among these learners.
Last year I challenged our schools to take part in international choir festivals. I hope this challenge will be taken up soon. I have been informed that next year, Bremen in Germany will be hosting the Choir Olympics. I strongly believe that it would be a tribute to the outstanding work witnessed here to send a national schools choir from the golden voices we heard over the past four days to represent our country at these Choir Olympics.
It would even be more pleasing, if such a choir would be part of the celebrations of our ten years of freedom and the inauguration of the President after the elections next year, even possibly joining the celebrations which may take place in Germany, London, and in one of the African countries. I hope FNB will be able to work with my Department in making this possible, both as their contribution to the ten year celebrations, and as their own sense of identification of their brand with a proud South Africa.
Two years ago, at the launch of this event, I emphasised that this is not simply about competition, but more about celebrating who we are as South Africans, and encouraging a sense of pride in our achievements. Showcasing our children's talents on an international stage could therefore be e strong tool for consolidating internationally, the emergence of our national identity and pride.
On the occasion of the signing of the agreement between my Department and FNB, I assured the First National Bank that through this joint venture, we will reach out to all South African schools, black and white, and instil the values of ubuntu, respect and tolerance. I also said that this is part of an ongoing programme which seeks to identify and nurture talent among our children, while addressing the need to build a true South African identity. I am please to announce that in pursuit of these two objectives, the Department of Education is working on yet another venture, to find mechanisms to showcase other forms of music and musical talent in our schools, particularly traditional forms of music. As part of our ten year celebrations, the Department is working towards a national traditional music and dance festival for schools, which will showcase traditional forms of music such as isicathamiya, kiba, dinaka, to mention a few. The Department believes that celebrating music and dance that is uniquely South African, is an important element of the development of our South African identity. This will also be a way of paying tribute to and celebrate the splendour of our living heritage.
The second initiative is also in its development phase. Just as we have already started with focus schools that concentrate on maths, science and technology development, we are now in the process of developing mechanisms for organising and funding focus schools in order to enable us to move quickly into schools that will focus on music and the arts. Like the "Dinaledi" schools for maths and science, these schools will be located largely in disadvantaged areas, where music and the arts were totally neglected, if not non-existent.
We hope once again that our partners in the private sector will join us in these new ventures, in the spirit of Tirisano.
Martin Luther King once said. "The noble art of music is, as God declares, the highest of earthly treasures. It rules all thoughts and senses, the heart and the temperament". We therefore have to develop this noble art among our children, and allow them to express themselves fully through music and art.
May I end by once again expressing my sincere gratitude to the First National Bank, who continue to partner with us in this event, and who have been an excellent partner up to now, and have demonstrated how the public-private partnerships should work. I also wish to thank the organisers of this event and all the provincial events that have led to this national one, for their dedication and commitment in the true South African Spirit of "Vuk'uzenzele". Thanks to the children who have worked hard with their conductors to get those notes to come out at the right pitch, with the correct intonation, and a perfect interpretation. Let me just say to you all, we value those voices and the talents you possess. They are national assets. Please look after them and develop them further. But most importantly, we value you. So look after yourselves at all times, and work hard to develop the many talents you have, for the sake of our nation.
To the adjudicators, we thank you for a job well done. Although some of us may come out shouting, " we was robbed!" but please know that it will all be in the spirit of celebration and friendship. We thank you very much. Lastly let me thank the Directors of ceremony for a job well done.
Let me end by putting a challenge to our composers. Next year is the tenth anniversary of our freedom. Where are those celebratory songs?
I thank you all.
Enquiries: Molatwane Likhethe on 082 573 0397
Issued by Ministry of Education
13 July 2003
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Asmal: Tirisano school choral eisteddfod
SPEECH BY PROFESSOR KADER ASMAL, MP, MINISTER OF EDUCATION, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 3rd TIRISANO SCHOOL CHORAL EISTEDDFOD, The Dome, Northgate, Randburg, 13 July 2003
Director of ceremonies,
MECs,
Miss Wendy Lucas-Bull,
CEO of First National Bank,
Heads of Departments,
Officials,
Adjudicators,
Conductors,
Choristers,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Molweni, Sanibonani, Dumelang, Ndi masiari, Thobela, Lotjhani, Absheni, Goeie dag, Good afternoon.
How wonderful it is to live in a free country, a country where children can be young again, where they can freely explore their talents, where they can be children again, free in spirit, and able to dream again, to explore, to probe, to push themselves to the limit. How nice it is to live in a country of possibilities, where one can reach the highest note possible, and get down to the lowest bass note there is, and fulfil ones dreams, bringing pleasure, not only to ones self, but to the nation as a whole.
Our presence here today, once again acts as an answer to a cry from the heart from the young people of our country, so ably captured in a poem by one Mayihlome Tshwete, son of the late freedom fighter, and Minister, comrade Steve Tshwete, "Let us be Heard" when he says:
We are the youth of the worldwide
Turbulent times.
In a world of dangerous minds,
Mass murderous crimes,
Gruesome genocides, high homicides,
Racial divides and poverty's cries,
Political lies.
The youth of blindfolded eyes
Minds moulded by
The supposedly wise,
Who can't even prevent wars
But claim peace is their cause.
We are the youth of years thousands
Product of our surroundings
Merely adapting to the habitat
Clearly living the political aftermath
Of colonisation and apartheid's path
We are the youth you ignore
But say you do everything for
Our windows are explicit twisted newspapers.
We are your children; we are what you make us
LET US BE HEARD.
We are here to hear these young people, to listen to their incredible voices, to celebrate their youthfulness, and to give them a platform to demonstrate the heights they can climb to in their sound. And all this has become possible for us to do, in spite of the challenges of the world we live in today, as described by Mayihlome, because of ten years of our freedom.
The song we are singing today, is not a song of war, of sadness, of despair, of hope, of longing, that we sang for many decades in our camps, our prisons, our mines, our roads, our farms and plantations. It is not that song of war that we sang in foreign lands, when we mobilised the people of the world against the evil system of apartheid. It is not the song we sang at funeral after funeral, as we buried our brothers, sisters, and fellow combatants. The song we sing today is a song of peace, of security for all, of freedom, of dignity for all. It is a song of prosperity, of hope, of joy, of celebration. And we have a lot to celebrate.
And so Ladies and Gentlemen, It is indeed an honour for me to join these young people in song, at this third Tirisano School Eisteddfod, to witness and to celebrate the growth of a vision of working together. In the three years this eisteddfod has been organised, we have managed to get learners, educators, official, and parents working together to produce quality results, as is demonstrated by the ever improving standard of the choirs represented here this weekend. The manner, in which these conductors have managed to get all these voices to blend, is symbolic of what is possible if we in education can get together and create harmony. Working together, pulling our efforts together, can and is helping us create a system of education second to none in reach, and in depth. The quality of the voices we are listening to these last three days is symbolic, not only of what we as a country are capable of if we work together, but also of the talents we have in our continent, which when harnessed and put to good use, will lead us to prosperity and a better life for all, a true African Renaissance.
In just three years, we have transformed the nature and scope of choral music in schools in this country. We have moved from a plethora of music events competing against each other, with sponsors tripping against one another, to get the best branding and marketing opportunities, with very little focus on the developmental aspects of the music programmes they were involved in, to a single music eisteddfod, which encompasses all our people, from different sectors of our community, and provides our learners with an opportunity to showcase their music talents, and match them against other learners, in a spirit of mutual enhancement and encouragement, while at the same time benefiting from the developmental elements of the competition, including the identification of talent for further development in higher education. This eisteddfod has become truly South African, not only in character, but also in that it now represents the pinnacle of musical talent showcasing in the area of choral music in this country.
I am also pleased to see that the number of schools participating is increasing from year to year, and that schools are now entering the different categories, regardless of their background. For example, I am told this year that there are schools which were not traditionally known to prefer the own choice category, which are now participating in that category too. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage more schools, especially in the former white and Indian areas, to join this wonderful event. The standard is indeed very high, and the level of competition therefore intimidating. But what is more important is not the competition, though there is an added bonus to it, but the mere fact of entry to join other fellow students in entertaining South Africa.
I am also pleased to learn once again that my Department and FNB have agreed to subsidise the national soloists who will be identified through this eisteddfod, to study with identified higher education institutions. Our country needs more Sbongile Mngomas, and Khumalos, and Mimi Coetzees. I can also see that there are many aspirant Pavarotti's among these learners.
Last year I challenged our schools to take part in international choir festivals. I hope this challenge will be taken up soon. I have been informed that next year, Bremen in Germany will be hosting the Choir Olympics. I strongly believe that it would be a tribute to the outstanding work witnessed here to send a national schools choir from the golden voices we heard over the past four days to represent our country at these Choir Olympics.
It would even be more pleasing, if such a choir would be part of the celebrations of our ten years of freedom and the inauguration of the President after the elections next year, even possibly joining the celebrations which may take place in Germany, London, and in one of the African countries. I hope FNB will be able to work with my Department in making this possible, both as their contribution to the ten year celebrations, and as their own sense of identification of their brand with a proud South Africa.
Two years ago, at the launch of this event, I emphasised that this is not simply about competition, but more about celebrating who we are as South Africans, and encouraging a sense of pride in our achievements. Showcasing our children's talents on an international stage could therefore be e strong tool for consolidating internationally, the emergence of our national identity and pride.
On the occasion of the signing of the agreement between my Department and FNB, I assured the First National Bank that through this joint venture, we will reach out to all South African schools, black and white, and instil the values of ubuntu, respect and tolerance. I also said that this is part of an ongoing programme which seeks to identify and nurture talent among our children, while addressing the need to build a true South African identity. I am please to announce that in pursuit of these two objectives, the Department of Education is working on yet another venture, to find mechanisms to showcase other forms of music and musical talent in our schools, particularly traditional forms of music. As part of our ten year celebrations, the Department is working towards a national traditional music and dance festival for schools, which will showcase traditional forms of music such as isicathamiya, kiba, dinaka, to mention a few. The Department believes that celebrating music and dance that is uniquely South African, is an important element of the development of our South African identity. This will also be a way of paying tribute to and celebrate the splendour of our living heritage.
The second initiative is also in its development phase. Just as we have already started with focus schools that concentrate on maths, science and technology development, we are now in the process of developing mechanisms for organising and funding focus schools in order to enable us to move quickly into schools that will focus on music and the arts. Like the "Dinaledi" schools for maths and science, these schools will be located largely in disadvantaged areas, where music and the arts were totally neglected, if not non-existent.
We hope once again that our partners in the private sector will join us in these new ventures, in the spirit of Tirisano.
Martin Luther King once said. "The noble art of music is, as God declares, the highest of earthly treasures. It rules all thoughts and senses, the heart and the temperament". We therefore have to develop this noble art among our children, and allow them to express themselves fully through music and art.
May I end by once again expressing my sincere gratitude to the First National Bank, who continue to partner with us in this event, and who have been an excellent partner up to now, and have demonstrated how the public-private partnerships should work. I also wish to thank the organisers of this event and all the provincial events that have led to this national one, for their dedication and commitment in the true South African Spirit of "Vuk'uzenzele". Thanks to the children who have worked hard with their conductors to get those notes to come out at the right pitch, with the correct intonation, and a perfect interpretation. Let me just say to you all, we value those voices and the talents you possess. They are national assets. Please look after them and develop them further. But most importantly, we value you. So look after yourselves at all times, and work hard to develop the many talents you have, for the sake of our nation.
To the adjudicators, we thank you for a job well done. Although some of us may come out shouting, " we was robbed!" but please know that it will all be in the spirit of celebration and friendship. We thank you very much. Lastly let me thank the Directors of ceremony for a job well done.
Let me end by putting a challenge to our composers. Next year is the tenth anniversary of our freedom. Where are those celebratory songs?
I thank you all.
Enquiries: Molatwane Likhethe on 082 573 0397
Issued by Ministry of Education
13 July 2003
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