Schock prizes for fine voices

Songsters: (From left, back) Pretty Yende, Musa Spelman and Xolani Herschelle Tabane. (From left, front) Teenage Sipho Fubesi, Sarah-Jane Brandon and Given Nkosi.

Six of the South African College of Music's sweetest voices competed for Schock Foundation Prizes for Singing, the fourth such competition dedicated to the memory of Judge Philip Schock.

Top honours (R5 000) went to Sarah-Jane Brandon and Given Nkosi. Second prizes (R3 000) were awarded to Pretty Yende and Xolani Herschelle Tabane. Musa Spelman and Teenage Sipho Fubesi won third prize (R2 000).

Yende also won second prize in the competition last year.

The Schock Foundation was established by the late Judge Schock to assist and support charities and education institutions in South Africa. The family's love of the arts led to the inaugural Schock Foundation Singing Competition in 2002.

A spokesperson said the Schock Foundation were proud to be associated with the continued development of young singing talent in the Western Cape, and wished all the finalists well in their future careers.