Soweto Gospel ChoirThe musical wonder of one of the world's most accomplished vocal ensembles, Soweto Gospel Choir, attracted scores of faith-focused fanatics and the usual opera house crowds to a 5pm show on a wintry Sunday evening.
The crowds strapped themselves into an early viewing in Joan Sutherland Theatre, an iconic space within Sydney Opera House. From the beginning, a greeting in the 11 official languages of South Africa, the show took on an almost fetishised theme, some audiences members even laughing when some of the hellos were said.
The Grammy and Emmy Award-winning troupe of singers showed moments of aural brilliance, creating undulating waves of nuanced sound, but were for the most part limited in creating musicianship comparable to other orchestral ensembles.
The rhythms were dull and repetitive, the performances tending towards cheesiness and some of the numbers felt particularly Disney-esque. While the early numbers were brimming with an exotic radiance, the soloists belting out tunes backed by a tight ensemble, the novelty soon wore off.
The show seemed to slide irrevocably into some evangelical lovefest, complete with organ-effected keyboard — what the publicity for the show termed "unique renditions of international classics" like Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah and James Brown's I Got You (I Feel Good).
There were some standout dancing performances, although it was clear these people were singers and not dancers. What ultimately won out was a strange atmosphere of the overzealous crowd, lifting their hands skyward and jigging back and forth in a rigid jig.
By virtue of the fact that this is an international act showcasing moments of brilliance, an ensemble with incredible vocal range and a novel experience, this show is worth seeing. It is perhaps questionable however whether Sydney Opera House is the place for this, given the scene would not have seemed out of place in Hillsong.
