The Battle of Municipalities (BOM) Talent Search finale will take place at the East London ICC from September 4-7, with organisers reporting record entries from SA and neighbouring countries, including Lesotho, Botswana and Eswatini.
Founded two decades ago as a music competition, BOM has grown to include a wide range of performing and visual arts, as well as sporting codes.
The 2025 event introduces new categories, including a female choir section where conductors must also be women.
BOM’s national choral organiser, Ezile Soli, said the change was intended to broaden opportunities.
“For far too long, the conductor’s podium has been a man’s space,” he said. “We made it compulsory for the female choir category to be conducted by female conductors.
“This is not done to replace anyone but to create room for everyone.”
This year’s finals have drawn entries from all nine provinces and from choirs in Lesotho, Botswana and Eswatini.
The defending champions are the West Coast TVET College choir from the Western Cape, conducted by Cansany Gubula, and the Lovedale TVET College choir from the Eastern Cape, conducted by Dumisani Tembani.
Other notable participants include the Eastern Cape Police Choir, Ezibeleni Talent Development Choir, the Matthews Singers from Nelson Mandela Bay and the Lesotho Chorus.
Prizes have been expanded to reflect the increased participation.
The large choir section has a first prize of R100,000 and a Yamaha 88-key piano, while the standard choir section winner will receive R50,000 and a piano.
Male and female choir winners will receive R10,000 each, with best conductor awards of R10,000 for both men and women. A new R10,000 prize will recognise the best female conductor.
Educational elements remain a central feature of the programme.
On September 5, internationally acclaimed UK conductor Jeremy Silver will present a choir conductor’s masterclass at the ICC.
Skills development sessions will cover hospitality, safety, electrical engineering and event management, alongside SAPS-led career guidance exhibitions.
The finale will also include visual arts competitions, exhibitions, an art auction, a gala dinner and an entrepreneurship expo.
Students from TVET colleges will once again gain practical training through the Work Integrated Learning programme, supporting the event’s logistics and hospitality operations.
Daily Dispatch
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