PRESS RELEASE:

The annual BIFM-EU Festival Concert has returned to being part of the Maitisong Festival this year. The concert will be the finale to the 2009 Maitisong Festival. This spectacular concert which has been running since 1987 is a major event in the musical calendar of Gaborone bringing together, as it does, some of the most promising and talented classical musicians in Botswana. The 30-strong Johannesburg Festival Orchestra will come in to accompany choirs and singers in a sparkling concert. BIFM has been the major sponsor of this concert since 2003 and was joined by the European Union in 2007.

The Festival Concert this year will be on Friday 3^rd and Saturday 4^th April at 7.30 p.m. at Maitisong. The orchestra will give a special children’s concert at 11 a.m. on Saturday 4^th so that children can learn a little more about what an orchestra is, what it sounds like and how it works.

Headlining this year’s programme will be two young Batswana currently pursuing their music in Europe: Angela Kerrison is singing in Switzerland and Tshenolo Segokgo is studying singing in Paris. They will both sing at the concert. Joining them will be Boyce Batlang, the young tenor, part of the Three Tswana Tenors, and Gape Motswaledi, the tall baritone.

Three choirs will add their voices and styles to the evening. The KTM Choir, Sedibeng Choral Society and the Gaborone Music Society. They will sing songs accompanied by the orchestra as well as the usual unaccompanied style. A significant feature of this year’s programme is the repeat of last year’s idea of including a new choral piece by a young Motswana for the massed choirs. The piece is KARABO MORATIWA by Andy Batshogile, conductor of the Sedibeng Choral Society. This follows the success of Luka Disho’s CHIWELE at the 2008 BIFM-EU Festival Concert.

To round off the programme there will be an extract from the opera, H.M.S. PINAFORE. In this al the choirs will sing and a number of young singers will take the major roles. Oteng Zachariah, Tebogo Dire, Kago Regoeng, Bame Kopong, Gorata Mothupi, will join Tshenolo Segokgo, Boyce Batlang and Gape Motswaledi - a real line-up of musical talent.

The 2009 BIFM-EU Festival Concert promises an sparkling evening of musical entertainment and will be a fitting close to the Maitisong Festival.

For further information contact David Slater Music at 3909398 or Maitisong at 3971809