In 1952, then Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was holidaying in Kenya when she received news that her father, King George VI had died, and she rushed back to England to be crowned Queen Elizabeth II.

This year marks the 60th anniversary since her ascent to the throne, and the Queen has invited music representatives from Kenya, a former British colony and member of the Commonwealth that she heads, to perform in London to commemorate her ascent to the throne.

Simon Brooks-Ward is the director of the Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant to be held in May.

One of his jobs was to travel to Kenya to audition different individual and music groups to entertain Her Majesty at the Windsor Castle’s 3,000-seater arena, venue of the celebrations that will star an equestrian display featuring 500 horses from the countries the Queen has visited in 250 outings.

Brooks-Ward settled on two groups: traditional dancers drawn from Kenya’s eight provinces and the Nairobi Chamber Chorus.

Last weekend the Chamber Chorus, which comprises university students, music teachers and administrators, presented its repertoire at the Michael Joseph Centre, Nairobi, in what was dubbed an afternoon of “inspirational choral music.”

17 choral pieces later — among them Jabula Yesu (Joy in Jesus), Jack Halloran’s poignant Witness, the tempo tempered Bethelehemu and Andre Thomas’ rhythmic, Swing Down Chariot — made me realise the Nairobi Chamber Chorus was a breath of fresh air.

I truly think the Queen and her guests will enjoy what the 27-member Chamber Chorus has to offer.

The group will sing Wanabaraka, Nyathi Onyuol (Child is born) and Nimerudi Mashambani, all personally selected by Brooks-Ward who told The Telegraph that the event will be a journey around the world, “taking the audience on a 60-year journey in 90 minutes.”

Wanabaraka is a common local mainstream church composition that was arranged by American pianist and composer Shawn Kirchner.

It features sopranos from Esther Nashipae, Mukami Mugambi, Judith Chepkirui, Grace Awiti and altos of Maureen Atieno and colleagues Wacu Kamau and Stella Mbugua, who explain that great choral music is “about arrangement and structure.”

Compositions

Daniel Owegi’s Nyathi Onyuol, is a Luo composition featuring tenors Denis Ngure, Fred Koskei, Mark Ekisa, Isaac Macharia and Elijah Adongo with baritones of Noah Achomo, Victor Adwar, Daniel Mawasi and Emmanuel Ashene.

Nimerudi Mashambani was composed at a time when Kenyans were being asked to return to their rural homes after independence.

The message might sound outdated, but the voices over single drum beats, saw the audience requesting for an encore.

Nimerudi Mashambani was the rhumba influenced effort of the acclaimed local composer, David Zalo who died in in 2007 at the age of 67.

Zalo pioneered the use of rhumba into local choral music, which blends well with Nairobi Chamber’s afro-classical style, and Nimerudi Mashambani’s message resonates with majority of Kenyan urbanites with a rural home.

Zalo was also the one who taught Ken Wakia, the current conductor of the Nairobi Chamber Chorus, which he founded in 2005, and it has since performed with world-renowned groups such as the City of York’s Guidhall Orchestra, London Adventist Chorale, Cape Town Opera and the Soweto Strings Quartet during the 2011 Safaricom Classical Fusion at Impala Grounds, Nairobi.

On performing for the Queen and a televised global audience, Wakia, who has performed with the World Youth Choir in Japan, Taiwan and Belgium said, “We are overwhelmed and excited, the visit will be our biggest achievement so far.”

Nairobi Chamber Chorus will, together with a London orchestra, perform George Frederic Handel’s Zadok the Priest, a 1727 coronation anthem that Handel wrote for the coronation of George II, together with, Let thy hand be Strengthened, and The King shall Rejoice.

Zadok the Priest has the lines:
“God save the King! Long live the King!
May the King live forever,
Amen Allelujah”

They were derived from the biblical anointing of King Solomon by prophet Nathan and Zadok the priest.