I first saw and reviewed the Soweto Gospel Choir at the 2018 Adelaide Fringe. As I stood in line at Cornucopia waiting for the doors to open, I pondered what might be different about this South African institution two years on. The choir’s profile has grown in the last two years. In 2019, their latest album Freedom won the Grammy for Best World Music Album and they can now count Harry and Meghan amongst their fans. Two years ago, they were a joyous experience, but from the moment the seventeen-strong choir swung into action 2020 style, I noted extra polish, assurance, and an even greater abundance of energy.

Soweto Gospel Choir

SWG’s purpose is twofold. They honour the legacy and sacrifice of the freedom fighters who struggled for decades to liberate South Africa from the scourge of apartheid and they celebrate that hard-won freedom and their culture that encompasses 11 languages. In 2018, I enjoyed the choir’s South African music more and found some of the songs in English a little stilted. This time, the set’s South African numbers were drawn entirely from Freedom and I enjoyed them even more. However, I...