Title of Piece: Siyahamba
Performers: International Artists Carillon (Seattle)
Culture or Origin: South Africa/Zulu
Orchestration: Handbells, hand chimes, percussion
Siyahamba is one of the most well known South African pieces in the world of Choral Music. I am willing to bet that nearly every choral director in America has been exposed to this piece. I decided to choose a video of a handbell choir performing this piece, because it speaks to the topic of authenticity. Is this an "authentic" performance of this Zulu Freedom song? No. Does that make it poor or disrespectful, I don't think so. We encounter "inauthentic" performances of music all the time. Any time a marching band plays Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" or a concert orchestra plays an arrangement of "Danny Boy," they are presenting a version of the song that not "authentic." Even a Bach cantata, unless performed with Baroque instrumentation and voicing, cannot be considered "authentic." However, as Johnson suggests (and Koops agrees with, though with caveats), music educators need to strive to help students understand the context in which the piece was originally conceived. We can show respect and admiration for the culture and people, while performing the music tailored to our particular ensembles. If we couldn't do that, there is no way that any of the ensembles that exist in schools (percussion, marching band, guitar, handbell, women's or men's choirs, mixed choirs, show choirs, orchestras, concert bands, etc) could perform music that wasn't specifically written for them. Quality arrangements of music are available for our students to be able to experience and study a particular style or culture, with respect and curiosity. It is our duty as educators to be careful to choose repertoire that maintains the high standard of respect for the source material.
Hi, Jason--good choice here! Handbells are definitely not what comes to mind when thinking of Zulu music :-). But you're right--I think this is a good arrangement of the music. And with regards to the preoccupation with authenticity, I think you've revealed it to be a bit ridiculous if you take it to its extreme. As a baroque violinist who plays on period instruments, I can tell you that the "HIP" (historically-informed performance) movement has really moved away from claiming to be "authentic," realizing the impossibility of doing so. We talk about which instruments, articulations, and ensembles work well with certain composers and styles (Bach works with just about everything; French baroque is much more specific). But you're right about addressing the context: if we as performers and teachers understand the original context in which the music was created, and if our arrangements/adaptations are musically well-crafted and respectful of the original versions, then I think we're actually providing a service by enabling audiences to hear some of these great pieces and students to perform them.
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