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Monday, November 29, 2021

SONGS WITHOUT WORDS


(Above: Marguerite Spies)

Songs without Words: As the year winds down, enjoy at Saturday sun-downer hybrid jazz and classical concert in Glenwood’s newest fine music venue, the Port Natal Citadel on December 4 from 18h00.

The concert will be performed in two halves: the first half is classical; the second is jazz.

The first half will be the classical programme of piano and cello pieces performed Marguerite Spies on cello accompanied by Margrit Deppe on piano. Among the pieces they will be performing will be the prelude to Bach’s Cello Suite; Gabriel Faure’s Elegy / Élégie and Sicilienne; Schumann’s Fantasy pieces / Fantasiestücke and music by Bloch and Saint-Saens,

Marguerite Spies’s cello has taken her to countries far and wide, from China to Spain, France, Mallorca, Germany and Mexico participating in many music festivals and orchestral tours.  Until recently, Marguerite was a tutti cellist in the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra for 12 years as well as a member of The World Orchestra and the South African New Music Ensemble.

Maggie Deppe currently works as piano tutor at Clifton School, Morningside and is a freelance oboist with various ensembles in South Africa. She completed a Masters Degree in oboe Performance at UKZN in 2010 as well as a Diploma in Church Music in 2020-2021. She works as organist for Our Lady of Lourdes in Westville.

The second half will be all jazz, courtesy of the JJ Jazz Quartet. The quartet is led by Jeanjoel, a professional jazz artist and pianist. His quartet plays various jazz styles from different cultures, rhythmic and melodic textures. His mission is to impact lives through art. JJ is a leader in Rise and Shine Church from the Congolese community.

Breathing new life into urban community spaces, four churches share the newly-refurbished Port Natal Citadel (which was formerly the NGK Glenwood). They are the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk; CityGate Church; Rise and Shine Church and the Emmanuel Care Centre - who feeds the homeless of Glenwood every Sunday.

The Port Natal Citadel collaboration opened in October this year. This concert was planned in order to build community through a culture of music, for the four communities to become better acquainted with each other and is intended as an open invitation to local residents to enjoy some phenomenal music in a great new space - with Marguerite representing CityGate congregation on the classical music, the Congolese community on the jazz, and the Port Natal NGK doing the welcome and introductions.

“Music is a great mechanism to bring people together, people from different faith and cultural traditions who may not speak the same language, but can all enjoy beautiful boundary -crossing music together,” enthuses Karen Allenby Brokensha from Citadel, who helped to organise the concert.

Port Natal Citadel is an urban event space with a 330-seater airy, two-tiered chapel beautifully lit by stained glass windows,  an outdoor café area, a 200-seater multi-purpose hall and smaller meeting spaces for up to 15 people.

Bring your own picnic for pre-show and interval. Coffee on sale in the cafe

Strict Covid protocols will be observed: Patrons will be social distanced; masks to be worn at all times.

Tickets R100. Bookings Mel 079 104 5260 / info@citadel.org.za.

Port Natal Citadel is situated at 455 Esther Roberts, Glenwood.