‘Mankokotsane

Moerane based ’Mankokotsane on a game that children play in Lesotho when it is raining, which in addition to being fun also teaches them that work must go on, even when it rains. The 86-bar song for 4 voices begins in a leisurely way and then speeds up at bar 17 (‘double tempo’). The syncopated rhythms, modulations, soaring melodic lines and constant changes of material make it far from child-like to sing, and it could be enjoyed by any adult choir. The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) has a version in their library that appears to have come from a competition book, but the song is not dated. The present ACE version is a completely new transcription of the composer’s original tonic solfa typescript. In order to help choirs learn this song, a free mp3 of the lyrics spoken by Mpho Ndebele is downloadable when the song is purchased, and a rehearsal mp3 of the song at a slow tempo.

The audio sample below was generated from the Sibelius file of the score and the image on the right shows the first page of the score.

Duration: 4’52”