Senqu – The Orange River (c1992 recording)

A magnificent African chorus published by Mohapeloa in 1951, Senqu – The Orange River recalls ‘Amazing Grace’ in its flowing 9/8 meter. Its subject is the mighty Orange River (called Senqu in Lesotho, which is why Mohapeloa gives the two names), that flows from the Maloti mountains thousands of kilometers west to the coast of Namibia. The SABC made what sounds like a live recording of a choir, that could be the Voices of Joy, Sebokeng College of Education Choir, or the Revival Youth Choir Sharpeville – it is difficult to tell from the SABC’s metadata; and the conductor is not specified either. Nor is the date, which from the recording quality must be around 1992. This historic recording was re-issued by ACE in 2014 as Track 30 on the CD African Choral Legacy: Historic Recordings of Joshua Pulumo Mohapeloa.