Genre: Orchestral Traditional Choral Music

Nkosi, kuzoba nini ukuthula? (2019) (Lord, when will there be Peace?)

By Josh Soal

2.24 min

The theme of the work is synonymous with the literary work of Craig Higginson’s “Dream House”. The question of whether within the change of South Africa into a Democratic country is there is any change? Has South Africa made progress or have we simply replaced the past government with a government just as wicked? Dream House was made into my set work for Matric and has forced me to view South Africa from a different point of view and ask some serious questions. The image I chose to write about is a famous Apartheid painting by Gerard Sekoto called “Song of the Pick”. I chose this painting not only for its vivid colours, but mainly for its symbolisms and deep-rooted outcry against injustice. I begin the work with four bars of polyphonic piano solo which effectively creates the mood of the painting mixing slavery, work, hope and the poignancy of the colours. There are snippets of melody from “Nkosi sikelel iafrika”. The purpose of the opening four bars is to set the tone for the rest of the work. The peddle point is crucial in providing balance and stability amid the tritones and semitones. Hence the ominous, oppressive tone is clearly evident yet a tone of hopefulness and longing runs throughout the entire piece. The work is set within the constant and repetitious pick-like sound produced by the left-hand piano octave, bass drum and triangle. The aim is to mimic the sound of the pick that is a continuous objective, metallic, rhythmic clang throughout the work thus creating the stability of the work through pick on stone. This creates an objective harsh tone towards the slavery of the black working men. The work is also vocally structured like an African folk song with one leader and the chorus of voices replying in echo. This call and response is synonymous with the African cultural way of singing.

This work is sung in Zulu, one of the 11 languages of South Africa. In Bar 19 the Soprano voice enters simply out of the air and appears to have an ethereal atmosphere about her words and song, almost divorced from the song of the men. The work is written in E minor, works its way to G major in bars 21 and returns to the minor key. Later, the piece ends not with a perfect cadence nor with any cadence at all. The piece ends with the repetitious rhythmic clanging of the pick upon stone fading into the distance. Through the octaves, neither major nor minor, the question is raised- is there any change from the beginning? The piece mimics the history of South Africa from Apartheid in the beginning of the piece in all its oppression (bars 1-18) then to the 1994 and the beginning of Democracy and the tangible hope, hence the major key, (Bars 19- 23). The use of inversion of melodies can be seen as the minor becomes major. The melody at points within the minor key is descending, assisting in creating the tone of despondency. Yet it is inverted when in the major key, resulting in an ascending melody, clearly expressing the hopeful, jubilant tone. Yet the piece ends in the minor, posing the question: has anything really changed? All the promises were made with the rise of the ANC and the hope for a better future. Yet has any of the injustices of society changed? Though they may be found in a different form, is there any change? Hence this is a prayer petitioning God about the circumstances of South Africa and questioning the coming of the Lord and the justice that will follow. This is a cry to the Lord about the horrors, joys and uncertainties within South Africa.

If you would like to do a professional recording and would like the full score please contact me on j.soal5dg@gmail.com