.: RMB Starlight Concert 2024 at Vergelegen

Joyous celebration in the Ford family when we get an invitation to the RMB Starlight Concert at Vergelegen. We so enjoy this annual concert which showcases such great South African talent and spoils its invited guests so well

A glass of Vergelegen's Florence rosé MCC to get us on the way to a fantastic evening

and a walk through Lady Phillips garden in full late summer bloom and then through the Manor House

The concert is held on the lawn beyond the 17th Century Manor House and the historic Camphor Trees

Lady Phillips' famous rose garden

The food was laid out at a couple of enormous meze tables, with cold roast beef,

rare for those who wanted it, well done for the others,

superb smoked salmon, cheeses, Dips, olives, salads, a selection of crackers,

rolls, bread and some biltong sticks and droëwors

Canapés were served as well and there were hot food stations run by students from the Silwood School of Cookery

Pasta, Vegetarian, Asian, Curry, all prepared and served by the students

Time to go and reserve a seat on the aisle for John,

who does not want to obstruct other members of the audience while he takes the photographs

We were quite far forward this year and it did give us a better perspective of the show

The paying customers are at the back of the lawn near the TV cameras

The programme is usually recorded and we have seen it and enjoyed it on DSTV,

so we hope that will happen again this year

Everyone seated at 7.30 - almost time to begin

The concerts would not be the same if Conductor Richard Cock did not add his huge contribution
He opened the concert again this year, conducting the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra
with a tribute to the very talented American composer Henry Mancini
He got us and the orchestra going with a superb performance of three of Mancini's most famous film themes
The Pink Panther, Baby Elephant Walk and Peter Gunn

A close up of some of the orchestra's violinists

Emrie Brown, the CEO of Rand Merchant Bank, welcomed us and started the proceedings

This is the 24th year of the Starlight Concert at Vergelegen, and their contribution is valued by RMB

Then we all stood and the Cape Town Opera chorus led us all in a loudly and well sung National Anthem

Richard introduced his co-conductor Brandon Phillips, resident conductor of the Cape Philharmonic

and then Richard's co-presenter for the evening, TV and Radio personality Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp

It was her first time as compère of the event

Renowned opera tenor Lunga Hallam then sang the aria A Tanto Duol from Bernini's opera Bianca e Fernando

He has the most superb voice and a huge range. He gave us cold shivers, he was so good,

an artist heading for the top of his career with much more to come

Elana then introduced a very popular star who now titles herself "The One Who Sings",

Xolani Mahola, who became famous as a member of Freshly Ground

She told us she had the name bestowed on her by her village, where everyone has a title,

and how she is now building a solo career for herself showing her versatility

with opera now included in her pop and jazz repertoire. She sang Remember Who You Are

The Cape Town Opera Chorus with O Fortuna from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, so popular,
so well sung and ably conducted by Chevonne Plaatjies

Jo Black a well known singer/songwriter and performer in the Afrikaans world is from Pretoria

He sang his song Hope in Afrikaans

Amazing lighting effects

Goitsemang Lehobye, internationally celebrated classical South African soprano,

sang her rendition of Vilia, the Witch of the Woods, from The Merry Widow so beautifully

To loud applause and many Bravas

Jimmy Nevis – Versatile, urban R&B pop artist from Athlone, top of the pops in Cape Town,

sang his hit Heart Boxing

With dancers supporting him

Very talented young pianist Gerard Joubert, who won the UNISA Piano competition,

played highlights from Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra

Raising the atmosphere was a mobile image of the New York skyline, with a piano key simulation

and a mirror-image video of the pianist's fingers

Goodluck, SA’s chart-topping, electronic music band with singer Jules (Julia Harding), performed next

Joined by the dancers

Next, a beautiful duet from Puccini's La Bohème - O soave fanciulla

performed by Goitsemang Lehobye and Lunga Hallam

The last number of the first half was a song by Bono of U2, Where the Streets have No Name

Someone had turned up the Bass very loud and ruined this for the audience, as it was just too loud to hear the lyrics

All the performers came on stage to join in, including the opera chorus

Township streets also often have no names

After the interval, the second half of the Programme began with a demonstration of Sampling, using electronic music and then showing how it is integrated into the orchestra's performance

Next the orchestra played Chopin's Grande Valse Brillante Op.18 (Waltz in E flat major)

with Pianist Gerhard Joubert, with waltzing dancers

Jules and Goodluck performed I've been thinking about you

with dancers

Goitsemang Lehobye then performed the aria Quando men vo from La Bohème. So flirtatious, so beautifully sung

Time for us to light our candles, supplied to everyone in the audience
This is why its called the Starlight Concert - we supply the starlight

We held them up in time to the music

It is quite a sight and must be even better seen from the stage

Another aria by talented tenor Lunga Hallam

accompanied by the Cape Town Opera chorus

and versatile Jo Black has a great voice
He told us he is shy, "Imagine a person from Pretoria on stage with all these professional musicians?"
Jo, you are just as talented

Xolani tells us about her journey through music which has taken her to opera

Then she was joined by Goitsemang to sing the beautiful duet The Flower Song from Lakmé by Léo Delibes
Goitsemang insisted that Xolani sing the soprano lead and she did it very well. She is indeed very versatile

Time for all the performers to come on stage. The band at the back of the orchestra

... join Jo Black,

Jimmy Nevis,

Xolani, The One who Sings

and Jules

In a rousing rendition of Feeling Good, it's a New Day

Goitsemang and Lunga sang their version of the famous song by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross, Endless Love

Elana and Richard announcing the next item

Jimmy Nevis and Xolani singing A Cry, a Smile and a Dance

Lunga sings La dance a Tarantelle by Rossini and had a few of us joining in the familiar Hunka Punka chorus

Taking a bow! The song is performed at such a rapid speed and he did it so well

Goitsemang, Jules and Xolani performing the moving song Symphony

which the audience loved

British wine master and author Remington Norman and his wife, Geraldine enjoying the show too

There are always superb lighting effects

Lunga with Richard Cock and the Opera Chorus having fun on stage

The song was I've Never Felt Like this Before with everyone in the cast on stage

It got the audience up dancing

And then it was time for some serious Rock and Roll which really got the place jumping

Jimmy Nevis and other members of the cast sang the Bruce Springsteen hit Dancing in the Dark

and My Life by Billy Joel. We all sang along to both

Old young friends of ours, Georgie and Evan Alexander, sitting across the aisle,

spotted Lynne bopping away to the music while John was capturing the action

We were rocking to the Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel songs sung by the performers

so Evan gave her a surprise twirl!

And then it was over. The audience demanded an Encore, which we were given

A really great concert

Thank you all at RMB and the orchestra, performers and background folk. And the costumes were amazing

Back into the forest for dessert, coffee and port while we waited for the traffic to abate
A huge selection of seriously naughty sweet things to enjoy. No, the Herons are not real