Kilele, the University Choir riding high after launching its premier album in South Africa won the two set-piece categories for universities and colleges at the just concluded 83rd Kenya National Music Festival held from 3rd to 12th August in Mombasa.

The set piece categories are the most important categories as choirs get to compete on songs provided by the National Music Festival office unlike in other categories where choirs choose songs. So good was Kilele's performance that the Kenya Institute of Education requested the choir to encore its perform so that they could do a video recording of the singing.

In the first set piece category, choirs were performing a Zulu song – Akhala Amaqhude Amabili (Two cocks crowing). The song changes tempo four times and also changes keys from A-flat to D-major which makes it very challenging. Kilele's win was a compliment to the composer Prof Mzilikali Khumalo who gave the choir a music workshop during its tour of South Africa in April.

In the second set piece category, choirs performed a classical jazz song – Ain't Misbehaving. This piece too was just as challenging as the first one. The adjudicators lauded the choir's outstanding work and pointed out that it's not common for a choir to win both set piece categories with the high marks Kilele got: 90% and 89% respectively.

The choristers also excelled in the solo categories where Peris Nyokabi won the Alto solo trophy while Caroline Mutonga came second in the Soprano solo category. The Dean of Students Mr Paul Ochieng attributed the choir's success to commitment and discipline.

“This is one of my sweetest victories in music. This year, the set pieces were very difficult especially the classical jazz song, and winning by such high marks says volumes about the effort we put in,” said an elated Albert Apela, the Choir's Conductor.