The Horizons Project Choir is a Pretoria based chamber choir which specializes in the performance of choral music written by young South African composers. The aim of the Horizons Project is not simply to stimulate the creation of new South African choral music; but to stimulate the creation of a new generation of South African choral composers. We have two projects a year, each one focusing on a different genre of choral compositions. The Choir consists of twenty-four hand-picked singers. By inviting specific ‘head-hunted’ singers to join the choir and not just having open public auditions, allows us to hold an extremely high level of musicianship, technical ability and an exclusivity that makes our sound unique. The choir is conducted and directed by Pieter Bezuidenhout A note from the conductor: South Africa’s choral music landscape is vast and varied. The mixture of languages, cultures, traditions and a vibrant history has over time created a very unique tradition of music making and writing. Music has always been an intricate part of the cultures found in South Africa. But it has never before experienced a similar time period when the art of writing new music (and specifically choral music), has been so prevalent. There is a young generation of composers in South Africa that have come of age, that are helping to establish and define this new choral landscape. That is what this album embodies. Ritonar! finding its roots in La Divina Comedia; Ritorane – Return, forms the basis, conceptually, of this album. Returning to works that have been a part of one of the last seven projects that Horizons have done, they represent an extremely broad spectrum of styles and influences. Within the boundaries of what most consider to be western, these works are fresh and innovative. Although they depart from traditional tonality, even form frequently, the unique fusion of west and south greatly defines them and makes them representative of a generation, and if to be viewed in hindsight one day; a distinguishable period. The list of active composers in South Africa is long and represents various genres. This album presents but a portion of the new choral music that was composed in the last decade (there are many more composers, and perfectly suited works that were considered). The composers included within are noteworthy, I have come to believe; because they have explored, with great success, the colourful balance between art and accessibility. - Conductor Pieter Bezuidenhout Zander Fick (b. 1991) Zander Fick graduated from the University of Pretoria, with his honours in chemical Engineering, in 2014 and is now practising as an Actuarial Analyst at the Business Science Corporation. As a musician, Zander has, to date, arranged more than 150 popular or “Sêrenade” works. He has also written various original classical pieces for choir and chamber orchestra, which are published through the international publishing house, Waltons. Since 2010 Zander has been involved in the coaching of a wide array of Male and Female ensembles from the University of Pretoria and the University of Potchefstroom Antoni Schonken (b. 1989) South African born composer living and making music at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Last year Antoni, completed his PhD, in which he tried to figure out the most important and fundamental aspects of western symphonic orchestration in order to build a workable, generalised theory. At 28 years old, he is in love with music in all its many forms. He believes that music is dance, that music is song, and that the world's greatest music comes from nature itself. Therefore, his music tends to sing and to dance, and the sounds of nature inevitably find their way into his creative output. Pieter Bezuidenhout (b. 1987) After studying composition at the University of Pretoria, Pieter Bezuidenhout has come to be considered as one of South Africa’s most prominent young composers. Invested in the worlds of concert, chamber and theatre music, Bezuidenhout’s musical voice has come to be recognizable as truly unique and innovative. He has received composition accolades from the Tri-Arts Music Foundation, The Stevans Grove International Composition Competition and the European Academy of Choral Conductors. Most recently Bezuidenhout received great acclaim for his original music written for the theatre production Tallard and the Ladderbird. He is regularly commissioned locally as well as internationally to write works for ensembles ranging from instrumental chamber groups to festival choirs. His works have been performed in Graz, Washington, Bratislava, Istanbul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and by the Choir of the Music Conservatory in the Canary Islands to great acclaim. Franco Prinsloo (b. 1987) Composer Franco Prinsloo creates in a diverse variety of styles including choral, classical contemporary, new music, cabaret and theatre as well as pop music and electronica.  He has composed and directed extensively for the stage including Maanmond (2009) Boegoe vannie liefde (2010) Pygmalion (2011) A Dolls House (2012) Skroothonde (2013) A Clockwork Orange, Marat/Sade (2014) Kind(s)(2015), CODE (2015) and Mosioua (2016) to name but a few highlights.  For the past three years he has been the Musical Director for the Nedbank Arts and Culture Trust performing arts Scholarships.  He is an active composer in the new music scene in South Africa including The Horizons Project choir and the Paz Consort. He has commissioned by prominent choirs including The Akustika Chamber Singers, The University of Johannesburg Choir, The Potchefstroom University Choir, The University of Pretoria Camarata, The Jacaranda Childrens choir, The Molen Kórus and the University of Pretoria Youth Choir. Prinsloo is also the conductor of his own three choirs. More notably his choral piece Pula, Pula! (from his musical “Naledi - an African journey”) was commissioned by the NWU PUK Arts for the Kings Singers to be performed in their programme in 2017. His compositions are frequently chosen as prescribed works at choral eisteddfods and competitions. His own discography include: "Prima Materia" with his duo Duo Solvtio, an avant garde exploration with fellow composer Andre van Rensburg; "Die Ryke dwaas" a solo album of piano contemplations, "Sonder merkwaardige klank" a series of art songs with Netanja Brink, "mosiuoa" a stage soundtrack of an multi-lingual adaptation of shakespeare's hamlet and "Nokturnes" a collection of art songs performed by soprano magdalene minnaar. His album "the imaginary musical"  is the newest addition to his colection of original recordings.  ​Prinsloo extends beyond the boundaries of his own expressive medium and in 2015 had a sold out solo photographic exhibition at the Artlovers1932 gallery in Pretoria. His sound installations has been featured in notable South African galleries including the Johannesburg Art Gallery in Richardt Strydom's solo exhibition 'Bleek' and his sound work for found sound, poets, voice and marimba "Sunnyside Suite" during the 2016 Aardklop National Arts Festival.  He seeks to create through interdisciplinary collaboration and exploration. Prinsloo explores sound possibilities and often builds his own instruments (the XENOPHONE - a bowed metal instrument) or de-constructs/modifies/destroys old instruments,especially old found piano's notably as part of the experimental spoken word trio "Dooie Diere" Recently he composed a musical "Naledi an African journey" which had its debut in February 2016 both at the South African State Theatre and at the Choralies festival in France.  In March 2016 he underwent a sucsessful international concert tour to Hong Kong and Singapore with Soprano Jessica Ng and Harpist Judy Ho performing his original compositions to great acclaim. Along with fellow composer Pieter Bezuidenhout, he has been invited to present new music for Soprano and harp at the 2017 International Harp Congress in Hong Kong.  "Prinsloo assimilates and unites disparate traditions within his own idiom" - Paul Boekkooi, South African Art Critic Elani Willemse (1986) is a Pretoria-based arts administrator, freelance curator and business manager currently employed as Company Liaison Officer at Dionysus Sculpture Works. She completed her Master’s Degree in Art History at the North-West University (NWU), Potchefstroom Campus in 2013. Here she worked as Assistant Curator at the NWU Gallery and also managed the NWU Art Collection. She has always been actively involved in the art scene, working as Logistics Manager for the Clover Aardklop Visual Arts Program from 2011 to 2012, coordinating a youth art competition sponsored by the ATKV and also coordinating the NWU Art Collection Publication titled Looking back while moving forward. She has curated various art exhibitions, the most recent being a Dionysus Sculpture Works 20-year group-exhibition titled TACIT which is currently touring the country. She recently founded a creative project management company titled Schmeckt Creations (Pty) Ltd. Schmeckt is a company that focuses on seeing through artistic projects within various creative fields from conceptualisation to completion, and this is a joint venture with Pretoria based sculptor Francois Visser. She enjoys working with community based projects, and was recently involved with the Cool Capital DIY Guerrilla Biennale, coordinating Foundry Day and administrating the PPC Public Benches project, which won the BASA Innovation award in 2015. She is also a member of the Horizons Project Choir, a Pretoria-based choir specialising in music by young, local composer, and composes choral music in her free time. Keith Moss (b. 1985) After In 2007 Moss studied with renowned composer Péter Louis van Dijk and obtained a Master’s degree from Rhodes University. After winning the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship in 2010 Keith firmly established himself as a leading exponent of new music in the country. He studied further in the United Kingdom, University of Cardiff and presented at the Guildhall school of music. Concentrating on projects like the Paz Consort he also championed the works of other young composers.  His output ranges from chamber to orchestral works some of which have drawn the attention of other competitions and commissioners The composers featured on this album are: 1. Ritornar! by Pieter Bezuidenhout 2. Solon by Antoni Schonken 3. Beati Qui Lugent by Franco Prinsloo 4.. Pater Noster by Antoni Schonken 5. The moon is hiding in her hair by Keith Moss 6. Hrafna Cyning by Zander Fick 7. Sonnet 27 by Franco Prinsloo 8. Grense by Pieter Bezuidenhout 9. I wandered lonely as a cloud by Elani Willemse Go to our the Horizons Project Choir's website at: http://www.horizonsprojectchoir.com Like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/horizonsprojectchoir