Brooklyn Theatre launches virtual classical music competition

No lockdown will lock down the music.

This is what the Brooklyn Theatre in Pretoria has decided and it's taking performances onto another stage.

"Music has to continue in tough times like today. Hope needs to be given to people," said Jean-Pierre Verster, one of the theatre's directors.

On Monday the theatre launched a virtual Lockdown Classical Music competition. Entrants could sing, play guitar, piano, bassoon or flute - any instrument and classical composition of their choice.

It is even setting the stage for families who want to combine their talents.

By Wednesday, the first 15 entries had been received. Most of them were from Johannesburg and Soweto, but Verster said they expected more by today.

"One of the entrants plays a wonderful French horn and another plays the harp. This is what makes classical music so wonderful, because there is such an array of musical instruments," he said.

A panel will decide on the best performances entered during the week, and then it will be shown every Sunday at 5pm on YouTube and Facebook for the public to vote for the best one.

There is no age restriction and entrants can use their cellphones to record their performance.

"We want people to use whatever they have at their disposal. They are welcome to be creative and use apps to assist, seeing that we are in isolation. Quality backtracks can also serve as accompaniment," Verster said.

When the lockdown is lifted and South Africans are free to mingle again, the theatre plans to host a live celebration performance of all the winning entries.

Verster said the competition, which carries some prize money and encourages the public to contribute, was in part to help musicians because they were among the performers affected by the lockdown.

"We hope this will be another way to make people cope in this extraordinary situation we find ourselves in as a country," he said.