Njooni! Zimbe! Nyimbo za Afrika!     by Alexander L’Estrange (1974-)

Come, sing the songs of Africa!

The seeds of my affinity with African music and the gospel tradition were sown in the early 90s through a chance encounter on a train. Opposite me was a woman with a book of manuscript paper on her lap. I asked politely whether she was a musician and she replied that she was on her way to lead a music group at a prison. She was working on ‘African and gospel’ music but, although she knew many excellent songs, she was really an artist/sculptor, not a musician, and was rather lacking in confidence when it came to leading a singing workshop. ‘I could help,’ I offered.

Her name is Wren Hughes and we struck up a working relationship. She introduced me to songs, tapes, books and friends with a plethora of songs to share. I immediately fell in love with the music. Together we ran singing groups, in Oxford, London and beyond, and I quickly became immersed in arranging, teaching, sharing and performing African songs.

I later produced a collection of choral arrangements for Faber Music entitled Songs of a Rainbow Nation, and it was in response to performing these arrangements that Justin Doyle, then conductor of Dorking Choral Society, approached me to commission a more substantial piece based on African and gospel themes. Inspired by the use of music in the recent TV adaptation of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, I decided that my piece would aim to reflect some of the manifold ways in which music plays a part in everyday life in Africa – from the rising of the sun to its setting, both literally and figuratively. I wanted to capture the essence of the African spirit through glimpses into the human experience – simple children’s playground songs from Ghana and Zimbabwe, a Xhosa lullaby for mothers of the victims of Apartheid, a raucous drinking song, sensuous wedding songs and some beautiful funeral and worship music.

‘Zimbe’ is an Anglicization of the Swahili Ziimbe, meaning ‘Sing them’: just as others have shared these wonderful songs with me, so I am passing them on. Scored for SATB choir, unison children’s choir and jazz quintet, with copious percussion, the settings reflect my own diverse musical make-up. The songs I have chosen are all imbued with the spirit, energy and simplicity that is so typical of the African tradition. They are fun, moving and infectiously tuneful, easy to learn and impossible to forget.

Further information, including details of forthcoming performances and comments on previous performances, can be found at the Zimbe! fansite on Facebook and on the Faber Music website.  The CD of Zimbe! is available to buy after the concert,  from www.zimbe.net and on iTunes

About the composer

‘If you had to create from scratch the perfect 21st century musician, Alexander L’Estrange would be your template.’

This accolade, from composer and broadcaster Howard Goodall, acknowledges not only L’Estrange’s huge versatility, but also his outstanding musicianship – he graduated with a First in Music from Merton College, Oxford, and was a chorister in the famous New College Choir. A composer, arranger, workshop leader, MD of musicals, professional countertenor, jazz double bass player and pianist, he has carved a successful career working in a variety of musical fields and with respected musicians around the world. L’Estrange’s compositions are testament to his eclectic mix of styles, with echoes not just of the English choral tradition, but also jazz, pop, musical theatre and world music. Since the publication of his stunning Christmas choral anthem Lute-Book Lullaby, he has been inundated with commissions from festivals, schools, a cappella groups, choirs and choral societies alike.

Zimbe! is L’Estrange’s largest commission to date. Following its premiere by Dorking Choral Society in November 2008, within 18 months more than 20 performances were lined up at cathedrals, schools and music festivals, in the UK, the US and Kenya. He has also written an award-winning jazz musical, entitled Hello Life!, as well as two Jazz “playalong” books/CDs and hundreds of arrangements of songs across the whole musical spectrum, many of which are part of Faber Music’s popular Choral Basics series, of which he is the editor.

In collaboration with his wife, soprano Joanna Forbes L’Estrange (former member and Musical Director of the Swingle Singers), L’Estrange writes choral works, including for Sing Up, and music for television. Together they devised the popular choral workshop You can sing ... but can you swing?! which they present throughout the UK. Its accompanying set of choral jazz warm-ups is published by Faber Music in the Choral Basics series under the same title.

ZIMBE! by Alexander L’Estrange

1 Njooni! Zimbe! Come! Sing the songs of Africa!

(Swahili text/original music)

2 Singabahambayo thina We are the ones going through this world, to our home in heaven

(Xhosa/Methodist sacred song)

3 Sansa kroma To Sansa, the hawk

(Akan playground song from Ghana)

4 Pete, pete! Vulture, vulture!

(Akan children’s song from Ghana celebrating food and family)

5 Thula Mama, thula Hush, Mama

(Xhosa lullaby for mothers of imprisoned sons)

6 Ilanga libuya, ilanga liyaphuma The sun sets … the sun rises

(Xhosa text/original music)

7 Wai bamba! You’ve got him/her!

(Shona wedding song from Zimbabwe)

8 Hamba Lulu Go, Lulu!

(Zulu wedding song)

9 Vamudara/Njooni! Zimbe! A drunken man dances himself to death

(Shona drinking song from Zimbabwe/Swahili text/original music)

10 Aleluya/Thuma mina Send me,  Lord; lead me,  Lord …

(Traditional South African/Zulu funeral song)

11 We shall not give up the fight Together we’ll have victory, hand holding hand

(Traditional South African)

12 Siyahamba We are marching in the light of God

(Zulu worship song from South Africa)

13 Freedom is coming/Hamba vangeli Spread the new word!

(Traditional South African song/Zulu worship song)

14 Njooni! Zimbe! Come! Sing the songs of Africa!

(Swahili text/original music)

The Call Me Al Jazz Quintet 

Julian Landymore – alto sax

Alexander L’Estrange – piano

Steve Richardson – double bass

Tim Goodyer - drums

Matt West – percussion

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