A Spectacle of lights and artistic performance

This year, Spier is celebrating the festive season with a dazzling display of light and a diverse collection of artistic performances in the Festival of White Light on 19 December. Join the journey across the estate which starts at 20h00 at the Spier Deli. An ‘Angel of Light’ on stilts will lead the procession.

By buying a ticket, you contribute a light made by local crafters to a string of lights decorating the estate. These will mark the path for the procession to follow.

And, in keeping with the season’s spirit of giving, Spier will match the ticket price in donations to Ikhwezi AIDS Orphans Sponsorship Programme, a project that focuses on supporting families taking care of AIDS orphans.

The festival is Spier's way of celebrating the essence of the festive season. For us, that means a focus on giving, as well as a celebration of our cultural diversity. White light contains all the colours in the spectrum and therefore symbolises the union of our diverse traditions.

The highlight of the artistic performances will be Jay Pather’s piece “From Before”, a cutting-edge mix of dance styles ranging from Shembe and traditional Zulu dance to ballet to classical Indian dance. The large-scale work featuring 20 dancers will be performed near Spier’s slave bell and is based on a glance between an urban skateboarder and a rural woman. The piece celebrates the moments of connection between people of diverse cultural backgrounds, and pays homage to South Africans for their ability and willingness to connect.

Other performances include:

• Abaqondisi Brothers (Brothers of Understanding), a ten-member acapella-style music group. Established in 1992 in the township of Kayamandi near Stellenbosch, the brothers perform in various languages using harmony structures and a variety of styles. They performed at Nelson Mandela’s 80th birthday bash, as well as at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Cothoza Mfana or Isicathamiya is the name of the music. It is the music of men alone in an urban landscape yearning for home.
  
  
• FireTribe, (in)famous for their gatherings on Clifton 2nd Beach, have grown from a one or two performer outfit to 12-performer strong choreographed, costumed performances. These spectacular fire-dancers have entertained crowds at the Presidential Residence, Cape Castle, Cape Town Convention Centre and Moyo. They are also the official fire performers of Earth Dance, Origin, Vortex, Alien Safari, Rocking the Daisies and Up the Creek festivals.
  
  
• Mbira players: the mbira, a finger xylophone used predominantly by the Shona in Zimbabwe, is integral to ritual and celebration in the community. The performers are all Zimbabweans now living in South Africa. Their repertoire includes songs, both contemporary and traditional, from Zimbabwe.
  
  
• Dave Ferguson aka “Lonesome Dave”, acclaimed as “one of the best harmonica players in the world” by Boulevard Blues. His signature hide boots, cowboy hat, silver belt-buckle and skeleton ring speak of an interesting persona behind his unique raw, improvised, bluesy songs. “Lonesome Dave” uses just his voice, a harmonica and a looping device to create a striking performance. He has worked with music legends including Nick Cave, Radiohead, Madonna, Herbie Hancock and Dave Brubeck.
  

Visitors are invited to book a picnic in advance and come early to enjoy it on the banks of the Eerste River. Tickets for the festival are R95 for adults and R55 for children under 12. This includes a glass of award-winning Spier signature wine at the hotel.

(excludes picnics and other beverages). 
Lights are switched on, on the 19th of Dec and remain on for the month of December 2008.
Book for the festival at Computicket. www.computicket.com