By Sandile Mahlangu

The NWU Symphony Orchestra recently held a Christmas Comes Early concert at the NWU Sanlam Auditorium at the Potchefstroom Campus.

The orchestra was preparing the North West community for the Christmas season with Christmas carols and a Christmas playlist.

André Oosthuizen, the orchestra conductor, said “the concert was to showcase the work that the group has been doing. Playing Christmas music is great and fun for everyone involved, and we just wanted to present a nice, uplifting concert.”

The concert featured some well-known classic Christmas jingles, from A Christmas Festival by American composer Leroy Anderson, to All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff and even included a locally arranged composition, Somerkersfees.

“The concert was Christmas-themed, and I tried to put the programme together with as much variety as possible and that includes most of the well-known Christmas music,” said Oosthuizen.

The concert was also carried out with humour and charisma as a way of engaging with the audience. Visuals were displayed on the screen in the background and helped to tell a story.

“We felt part of the concert, we were taken on a journey of how the music was arranged and the storyline behind the songs,” said Lerato Mahau, one of the audience members who was excited about the event.

The audience appreciated the amazing performance by the orchestra and concluded the show with a standing ovation.

The NWU Symphony Orchestra in action during their recent concert.