Schock prizes for sweetest voices

In fine voice: Winners included (from left) Nhlanhla Mweni, Pretty Yende, Mhlekazi Mosiea, Marilyn Schock and Nokrismesi Skota. (Absent - Zandile Gwebityala and Theo Magongoma.)

Six of the South African College of Music's finest voices bagged cash prizes in the annual Schock Foundation Prize for Singing in the Baxter Concert Hall.

These were presented by Marilyn Schock. Among the sopranos, first prize went to Nokrismesi Skota, second prize to Pretty Yende and third to Zandile Gwebityala. Among the men, Theo Magongoma (baritone) took first prize (you may remember him singing the national anthem at the recent African leadership award to President Thabo Mbeki), second prize to Nhlanhla Mweni (tenor) and third prize to Mhlekazi Mosiea (tenor).

The Schock Foundation was established by the late Judge Philip Schock to assist and support charities and educational institutions in South Africa. The family's love of the arts lead to the inaugural Schock Foundation Singing Competition for outstanding UCT students in 2002.