Singing South Africanness: the construction of identity among South African youth choirs

Abstract

South Africa has a vibrant and well-developed choral music scene that incorporates many musical genres and is evident in most, if not all, sectors of South African society. In this pilot study, which focuses on the choir of the University of the Witwatersrand, I investigate the relationship between the identity that choristers construct for their choirs and their individual identities. I look at the musical construction of South Africanness, the renegotiation of whiteness, and the way in which choristers are engaging with global communities.