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11 April 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Charl Devenish
Odeion Dean
From left; Dr Chitja Twala, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Humanities; Prof Heidi Hudson and Marius Coetzee at the OSM Dean’s Gala Concert.

It was a night where the Odeion School of Music (OSM) had its finest and best talent on the stage. The OSM Dean’s Gala Concert 2019 delivered a spectacular show on Friday 5 April 2019.

“I am deeply honoured to have the dean’s office associated with this concert. The work done by OSM counts amongst the best in the Faculty. The staff and students of the Odeion and the Camerata are known for having received many awards and accolades over the last couple of years,” said Prof Heidi Hudson, Dean of the Faculty of The Humanities. The OSM also ensures that a vibrant concert culture is maintained. 

“I want to recognise the work done by educators not only at school level and tertiary level. Through music education the human soul is developed and preserved, which reminds us why arts and humanities are essential in pursuit of knowledge,” she said.

Heinrich Armer, former lecturer at the OSM was awarded the Order of The Odeion School of Music for his contribution to music.

“The concert is also a benefit concert for potential funders to see the talent the OSM has to offer,” said Marius Coetzee, Innovation Manager at the OSM. The main reasons for the concert is twofold; firstly to create a professional performance for the gifted OSM students and showcase their excellence. For some students it will be their debut performance. Secondly, it is to raise funds for bursaries and funding of future OSM students.”

The programme line-up showcased the best of the OSM with performances from the OSM Camerata conducted by Elsabe Raath, The Free State Wind Ensemble conducted by Danre Strydom, and Naledi Dweba (clarinet) with Anneke Lamont (Piano) among others. 

Steve Reich’s Clapping Music was also amusingly performed by Misumzi Bottoman, Heinrich Lategan and Marlou Strydom. Charity Leburu and Mirriam Bokala were the sopranos and were both accompanied by Margot Viljoen on the piano.

News Archive

UFS launches journal on name change
2008-11-14

 

At the launch of the journal on name change were, from the left: Prof. Johan Lubbe, research associate of the Unit for Language Management at the UFS and guest editor of the magazine, Dr Lucie Möller, expert on geographical names and place name expert - and also an occasional member of the United Nations' committee of experts, Dr Peter Raper, research associate of the Unit for Language Management at the UFS, and Prof. Theo du Plessis, Director of the Unit for Language Management at the UFS. The magazine is dedicated to Dr Möller.
Photo: Lacea Loader

UFS launches journal on name change

From all the language issues coved in the English and Afrikaans printed media, the name change of place names is receiving the most attention. This is according to Prof. Johan Lubbe, research associate from the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Unit for Language Management, during the recent launch of a journal on name change on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

In the journal it is found, among other, that, as a result of the nature of the new democratic foundation of the ANC controlled government which puts the interests of the majority first, there is a move in the thinking and execution of name change. In this way not only names change but art, culture and heritage matters are democratically thought through and planned.

“As a directive from the South African Language Board (Pansalb), the Unit for Language Management at the UFS annually compiles the SA Language Monitor which reports on the language rights situation in South Africa as mainly reported by the print media. Issues about name change appeared throughout and this is why the unit decided to publish a journal with various perspectives on this,” said Prof. Lubbe, who is also the guest editor of the journal.

Other topics discussed in the journal include, among others, language visibility, a historical overview of the change in place names, the Khoisan influence on naming and naming amongst Xhosa speakers.

In a contribution on language visibility it is found that geographical naming policy and the national language policy does not correlate and language visibility as language mechanism is not considered. In a historical overview on the change of place names it is found that name change was never a calculated, political process and only after 2000 mention was made of a conscious, orchestrated process of name change.

In a further contribution on the name change of Johannesburg International airport, it was found that the government, by ignoring the sentiments of the minority, made itself guilty of splitting the nation in spite of pronunciations that nation building is a priority. Where African languages are concerned, it was found that the English name is increasingly being discarded in favour of the Xhosa name. This is apparently connected to the language debate in South Africa.

The journal, “Kritiese perspektiewe op naamsverandering” (“Critical perspectives on name change”) is a supplement to the “Acta Academica”, an accredited national journal that is independently publishing selected research articles in the human sciences and interdissiplinary fields. Nine cooperators from across the country made contributions to the journal.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
14 November 2008
 

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