BY SIPHOSETHU MABUZA
KWALUSENI– From the opening notes of “Buhle Balelive” to the final African-piece performance, the UNESWA Sports Emporium was alive with choral music on Sunday as choirs went head-to-head at the Ntjilo Ntjilo Arts Festival 2026.
The competition moved through several categories, giving choirs an opportunity to test their voices against one another while showcasing different styles of choral music.
Gebeni Choristers were among the early performers, opening their appearance with “Buhle Balelive”. Emmanuel Methodist Choir later performed the same song, bringing the Mixed Standard Choirs category to an end.
The programme took a different musical turn when Mbabane Chamber Orchestra appeared on stage. The Royal Eswatini Police Choir later joined the orchestra, combining orchestral instrumentation with choral voices.
The African Piece category brought another memorable sequence of performances. REPS opened the category with “Tinkhabi Tiyaphekelwa”, a song composed by festival founder and director Mathokoza Sibiya. Dolce Harmony Chorus followed with its interpretation, before Lugubhu LweNgwenyama delivered what was described as the composer’s version, with Sibiya conducting.
His Majesty’s Correctional Services Choir eventually closed the African Piece category, also performing “Tinkhabi Tiyaphekelwa”. When the scores were released, Dolce Harmony Chorus took the Female Voices title with 84 per cent, followed by Lugubhu LweNgwenyama on 82 per cent and Manzini Choir on 77 per cent.
REPS led the Male Voices category with 90 per cent, while Lugubhu LweNgwenyama scored 84 per cent and Dolce Harmony Chorus 82 per cent. In the Standard Category, Emmanuel Methodist Choir topped both sections, scoring 84 per cent in Western and 89 per cent in African.
Gebeni Choristers finished second in both sections with 64 per cent, while Eswatini Mighty Voices placed third with 60 per cent in Western and 57 per cent in African. The Large Category Western section belonged to HMCSC, which scored 97 per cent, followed by REPS on 90 per cent and Pure Voices on 85 per cent.
Pure Voices claimed the Large African title with 95 per cent, narrowly ahead of HMCSC on 94 per cent, while Lugubhu LweNgwenyama finished third on 89 per cent.
For Sibiya, the competition was about more than scores. He said choral music is rooted in love and talent but can also open employment opportunities for performers both in Eswatini and beyond its borders.
The festival therefore ended not only with winners on the results sheet, but with another display of the range of talent within Eswatini’s choral music scene.
#NtjiloNtjilo #ArtsFestival2026 #ChoralMusic #DolceHarmonyChorus #REPS #HMCSC #LugubhuLweNgwenyama #EmmanuelMethodistChoir #PureVoices #GebeniChoristers #UNESWA #EPN
