Contents. Hamba Lulu page 4 Jesu ukukhanya 8 Si njay njay njay 10 Weeping (N kosi Sikeleli Africa) 15

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1 Contents Hamba Ll age 4 Jes kya 8 Si 10 Weeing (N kosi Sikeleli Africa) by Faber Msic Ltd First blished in 2004 by Faber Msic Ltd 3 Qeen Sqare London WC1N 3AU Cover design by Ssan Clarke Msic rocessed by MsicSet 2000 Printed in England by Caligraving Ltd All rights reserved ISBN To by Faber Msic blications or to find ot abot the fll range of titles available lease contact yor local msic retailer or Faber Msic sales enqiries: Faber Msic Limited, Brnt Mill, Elizabeth Way, Harlow, CM20 2HX England Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) sales@fabermsic.com fabermsic.com

2 Foreword Singing ( mclo ) is a hge art of the cltre and everyday life of many African eoles, none more so than those in Sothern Africa. The first song in this volme, Hamba Ll, is a wedding song that advises Ll, a bride, to Hsh, listen to all the things they are telling yo. The nsal time signatre is in fact incredibly straightforward, with a gentle, comforting rhythm that is first set by the iano. It then follows with the choir and soloist (or gro of singers) intoning the simle melody above. The men of the choir and then the soranos take over this tne in the middle of the iece and it ends, as softly as yo dare, with hmming. Rather like Hamba Ll, Jes kya has a callandresonse strctre. Its simle solo line is followed by a choral answer that, tyically of this style of msic, moves redominantly in arallel harmony. The words first boldly roclaim that Jess is the light, and then that we and yo are also. Prononce it Yesoo ookookanya and, in the second verse, Seeett. The song gives the chance for a variety of singers to have a go at the solo art, at any octave! We ve given some sggestions for dynamics, bt encorage yor soloist to try varying them, with the choir coying the dynamic chosen. The arrangement also works naccomanied. A joyfl, exberant song with an infectios rhythm, Si is easy to learn, as it bilds gradally from jst the men, and then men and altos, to all three arts. The secondverse notes are the same, bt watch ot for the changes of rhythm on Woh mama bag and babay thanda zah ( thanda is rononced with a hard t ). The otional ercssion adds a great deal to this nmber and, when yo are more confident with the notes, yo can also sing it comletely a caella that is, withot the iano. Jst set the ercssion groove going and start singing! Weeing is a Soth African o song that was recorded in 1987 by a band called Bright Ble. It calls ot against the injstices of Aartheid Government and ses as its chors the refrain from the Zl anthem N kosi Sikeleli Africa ( God bless Africa ), which had been banned by the Soth African National Party. Thina lsaholwayo ( God bless s, her children ) is rononced with a hard t. The sing ot section starts tentatively bt soon grows to a collective, goselstyle chors. If yo have some bass singers and wold like to try some forart harmony, there is an oortnity to thicken the textre (with the small notes written in the men s art) in the final chors yo cold even to try it a caella, for an athentic sond! These wonderfl African songs are jst for of the many that have been sng or taght to me over the years by a nmber of friends, and I hoe yo enjoy learning, singing and erforming them as mch as I have. They are the kind of songs that are difficlt to sing while sitting or standing still: they were never intended for formal concert erformance, bt rather for commnal msicmaking, storytelling or celebration. Allow yor bodies to move, or feel free to cla or click: erhas on beats 2 and 4 for Jes, Si and Weeing. Hamba Ll has its own traditional movement attern that yo might like to try: the left foot (followed by the left hi) gently stams or resses down on beat one (the soloist s Hamba ) and the right foot and hi do the same on beat threeandahalf (the chors s Hamba ); effectively dividing the bar in half and setting a lovely, slow sidewaysrocking motion. Alexander L Estrange, March 2004 Editorial notes Choral Basics has been devised to rovide arrangements and original ieces secifically for beginner choirs. Vocal ranges: the arrangements don t exlore the extremes of the voice, bt aim to stretch the vocal range from time to time in the context of a welllaced msical hrase. Small notes indicate otional alternatives: 1) where the main notes may fall ot of comfortable range for some singers, 2) where certain singers on the malevoice art, which mainly falls in the baritone range of a 10th (B D), wish to exlore the tenor or bass register, or 3) where a dobling within a art is sggested. Breathing: singers shold aim to follow the nctation of the text, and breathe accordingly. However, commas above the msic sggest laces to breathe where not rovided for within the text. Piano accomaniments: the simle yet imaginative iano arts have been written to sort the vocal lines. Small notes in the iano art are intended to hel sort singers while learning the iece; however, once more confident yo may choose to omit the notes, or jst to lay them very gently.

3 4 Hamba Ll Gently rocking q =96 Zl traditional 4 S. A. Hamba L l, hamba L l, hamba L Hamba L l, hamba L l, hamba L 8 SOLO (any voice, change on the reeat) m ( 2nd time) Hamba L l, ham ba Ll, l, ham ba L l, ham ba L l, ham ba L l, ham ba L l, ham ba L l, hamba L 2004 by Faber Msic Ltd. This msic is coyright. Photocoying is ILLEGAL and is THEFT.

4 8 Jes kya Exltant q = 120 Botswana traditional f SOLO (different voice each time) 1. Je s k (2.) (3.) (4.) SOPRANO/ ALTO f f m ff 1. Je 2. Si 3. Ham 4. Je s eth bis s k k k k (otional) Exltant q = Je s Sieth Ham bis Je s k k k k Je s Si eth Hambis Je s k k k k Je Si Ham Je s eth bis s k k k k 2004 by Faber Msic Ltd. This msic is coyright. Photocoying is ILLEGAL and is THEFT.

5 10 Si PERCUSSION* SOPRANO With a groove! q = 108 Zl traditional ALTO (otional) With a groove! q = 108 f mf Si mf 3 sim. ngeme than da zoh, si ngeme 6 than da zoh, nge me than da zoh, nge me than da zoh, ngeme * se shakers and 2 bongos, or similar 2004 by Faber Msic Ltd. This msic is coyright. Photocoying is ILLEGAL and is THEFT.