Whitehorse Showtime is a Scout and Guide Show performed annually in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Each year the cast rehearse from March to August as they prepare for a 10 show season in late August. The size of the cast may vary each year, with up to 160 members on stage and a further 100 assistants in the technical and support departments. As part of the fiftieth birthday celebrations of Whitehorse Showtime in mid 2014, the cast and crew took the audience on a journey through significant events from the previous five decades. One such item focused on the apartheid era, and Nelson Mandela's fight for freedom. A recap of the fight for freedom was delivered as part of the opening to the second act, and was followed by the performance of The Rainbow Song - possibly the first performance of this song outside of Africa, and the first to use a musical score. Memeza African Choir first performed 'The Rainbow Song - A celebration of Nelson Mandela' in 2013. The song was originally written not only to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela but to also raise much needed funds Nelson Mandela charities, such as the Children's Hospital Trust Fund. The journey to the Melbourne-based performances began in January 2014, when the show's musical director met with Nic Rowley from Vandborg Studios in Denmark. This meeting actually occurred in London. Whilst the request may have been unusual, performance rights were granted, and over the course of numerous days, a once a'cappella item was transferred to musical score for the use of the Scout and Guide show on the opposite side of the world. Transforming an a'cappella eight part song into a theatre performance piece is no small feat, and over the duration of the fourteen week rehearsal period, many hours of effort were invested into making this item the best it could be. Throughout this time, the focus was not only on the music to be performed, but more importantly the messages this song promoted, and the significance of the fight for freedom Mandela had led. Language was an additional challenge in some aspects, with few members of the cast being familiar with Afrikan, one of the languages this song was written in. Throughout the duration of the 8 performance schedule, well over $500 was raised through donations to the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust. If you would like to contribute to the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital, donations can be made through their website.