South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma has created a new dance production inspired by century-old photographs of a South African choir that toured Victorian Britain. The choir, known as the African Native Choir, toured England, Scotland and Ireland between 1891 and 1893, performing under the name African Native Choir. The choir consisted of young black intellectuals who performed songs listed on a surviving concert program.
Discovery of Century-old Photographs
The photographs, taken by the London Stereoscopic Company, had been unknown for over 100 years until they were unearthed by Autograph ABP, a London gallery researching the presence of black people in Britain before 1948. The original glass plates wrapped in parchment paper were discovered in the Hulton Archives in London, now part of Getty Images. The 30 individual and group photographs of 16 choir members – seven women and seven men and two young choir boys – have now inspired Maqoma to reimagine the choir’s journey in his new dance production.
Broken Chord Production
Maqoma’s 60-minute production, Broken Chord, combines Xhosa and contemporary dance styles, musical harmonies from South Africa and Western classical traditions, English and Xhosa languages along with atmospheric sounds and smells. Deeply emotional performance features Maqoma as the central dancer alongside four soloists and a chorus.
The African Native Choir’s Journey
The African Native Choir’s tour of Victorian Britain was a triumph on the face of it. The audience followed the various items in the program with warm interest and approval, some of which were sung in the native tongue, and others in almost faultless English. Queen Victoria even asked them to perform for her at Osborne House, the Royal residence on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England. However, the tour was difficult, and the choir was not paid the money they had been promised. In the end, the singers were abandoned by the managers and left penniless in a London hotel. They were only able to return to South Africa because a missionary society raised funds for them.
Maqoma’s Inspiration
Maqoma grew up close to a hostel that housed migrant workers from different parts of South Africa who worked in factories and mines. At weekends, they would hold traditional dance competitions, and Maqoma would be among the cheering onlookers. He was fascinated by the sheer beauty of movement and how it made him forget about the conditions he was living in and the heaviness of what the country was going through. Maqoma went on to dance to huge acclaim all over the world and founded Vuyani Dance Theatre.
Maqoma’s new dance production, Broken Chord, is a celebration of the African Native Choir and their journey to Victorian Britain.
