“Monday, Monday, so good to me”

By Theo Coggin

The Mamas and the Papas of the 1960s would have little in common – one would think – with JS Bach, the doyen of Baroque composers, let alone with the Johannesburg choir that is named in honour of one of the most revered composers of all time. But listening to the animated manner in which the current chairperson of the Johannesburg Bach Choir (JBC) speaks of how much she looks forward to every Monday, the 1960s hit, “Monday, Monday”, by the Mamas and the Papas immediately came to mind.

Leona, a lawyer by profession, says with great conviction about her enjoyment of music and the JBC, “This choir is my therapy. I know that everyone has to ‘turn up for life’ on every occasion we are challenged. But knowing that on Mondays I will sing in the Bach Choir helps me cope even better.”

With her blue eyes flashing with conviction, Leona says that her Monday afternoons are spent looking forward to choir practice. “I prepare fully. I go to choir at rest with the fact that I am experiencing a dimension which, before I joined the choir, my life never had. It’s like the final piece of a puzzle fitting in.”

Leona joined the choir about two years before Covid struck. During Covid, she faithfully attended online practices each Monday, even though it was an exceptionally difficult medium for the choir to work in. Nonetheless, with others, she persevered to hone her musical skills. She laments the fact that the choir had to forego an invitation to attend the Leipzig Bach Festival in Germany as a result of the pandemic. Yet she believes that participating in those online practices assisted in building the team effort which is the prerequisite of any good choir.  And now, says the soprano who became chairperson shortly after Covid, the Bach Choir is a good choir, with its own unique culture, commitment, community and growing passion.

Independence is one of Leona’s strengths. But her understanding and appreciation of the community and belonging that the choir provides to each of its members is exemplified by the harmonious cooperation she seeks in a group of people, many of whom also exhibit their own strong characteristics. And the way in which she works with the choir’s music director and assistant music director underlines this.

Speaking about her life, she adds: “I’ve tried to live in a unique way. I’ve never wanted to wait for someone else to make my life. So I’ve often swum against the tide, which has brought many challenges. But I cherish my independence, and joining the choir gave me the space to be myself and yet, at the same time, be part of a harmonised community through music and song.”

As Leona spoke about her love of music and commitment to the JBC, an echo of the last verse of “Monday, Monday” reverberated in my mind.

Every other day, every other day, every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes, you can find me singin’ all of the time.

The mamas and papas

(With apologies to lyric writer Papa John Phillips, leader of the Mamas and Papas, for the change in the last line.)

Theo Coggin is a member of the bass section of the Johannesburg Bach Choir and is Chairperson of the 60^th anniversary marketing sub-committee.