Although the Stellenbosch University Chamber Choir (SUCC) is a fairly new project of the University’s Music Department, the choir already has a reputation of delivering outstanding material.
The SUCC, now only four years old, was launched as a flagship project of the choral conducting division of the Music Department of Stellenbosch University (SU). They started out small, with just 24 singers, but the chamber choir kept on growing as time went by.
This year the SUCC has 48 members – about eight more than a standard chamber choir. Approximately half the choir members are music students and the other half non-music students, as selection for the choir is based on auditions. Anyone can audition, and anyone can get selected.
This young ensemble has developed into one of South Africa’s leading chamber choirs: internationally respected and locally relevant. With the diversity of its repertoire SUCC represents the variety of choral music styles in South-Africa. PHOTO: Supplied
About six months ago the SUCC recorded one of their songs, African Medley, and published it on YouTube. In such a short time period, the video has over 57 000 views, with soloists Jade Paige, Clarina Solomon and Phindile Mgobozi charming audiences with their performances.
“I have changed my mind. This is not just fantastic, this is bloody brilliant! Each time it just gets better. The voices are outstanding. To whoever arranged this: well done, it’s bloody brilliant!” Steve Birmingham writes in a comment on the video.
‘Different approach to teaching music’
The Conductor of SU’s Chamber Choir is Martin Berger, who “has a totally different approach to teaching music,” according to Brent Reynolds, choir manager and Production & Ensembles Manager of the Department of Music.
Berger was Music Director at the well known St. Kilan’s Cathedral in Würzburg for 11 years, as well as a professor in choral conducting. He left Germany to accept an appointment as the artistic director of SUCC in 2013, and has been restructuring the Music Department’s conducting programme and choirs since then.
Berger is known as one of the most versatile conductors in Germany, and is sought after as guest conductor, lecturer, master class leader and adjudicator. He has presented concerts in nearly all European countries, Australia and the United States.
“The approach he takes is different from what we’re all used to,” says Reynolds. “In school or church choirs we were always taught to repeat something a thousand times until we do it the way the conductor likes it. Berger’s approach is completely different.
“You create a product based on the people around you. That’s why we can put a full concert programme together in a month. It’s shared responsibility from conductor to choir member, and you learn how to read the conductor and react to him,” Reynolds says.
The SUCC recently had an opportunity to display their unique style internationally, with a successful tour to Hong Kong. In July 2017 the choir was invited as Artist Choir in Residence to the 2017 World Youth & Children’s Choir Festival.
The festival is one of the most important international choral festivals which attracts 200 participating choirs from across the world. Around 5 000 people were in the audience to witness their performance, and the SUCC received a standing ovation.
After their performance the South African Consul-General to Hong-Kong, Madoda Ntshinga, sent a letter to SU rector, Prof. Wim de Villiers, where he praised the chamber choir’s performance. “The SUCC made us extremely proud to be South Africans in Hong-Kong, and has raised the South African flag high as true ambassadors of our country,” he wrote.
SUCC invited to sing in Hungary
While in Hong-Kong, a small, professional ensemble of singers from Hungary, the Banchieri Singers, were in the audience as SUCC performed.
Soma Szabó, one of their members, forms part of the Cantemus Choral Institute who are the organisers of the Cantemus Choral Festival, which takes place from 16-21 August in Nyíregyháza, Hungary. After the director saw SUCC perform in Hong-Kong, he sent an invitation for them to take part in this festival in his own home country.
The mixed-voices ensemble, The Banchieri Singers, has been famous nationwide and worldwide for almost 30 years. The 6 Hungarians come from the internationally-renowned Hungarian choir Cantemus. Third from the left is Soma Szabó. PHOTO: wyccaa.com
“This is how the choir wants to function. We want to be invited and exposed to different cultures. What also makes this opportunity amazing is that the festival pays for us to go. They pay for our accomodation and travel in Hungary, and all we have to fundraise for is our flights.
To fund their flights, the group runs raffles and each sell tickets to lunchtime performances to fund their own expenses. Whatever amount each member raises goes to their individual fund. “It’s a huge opportunity for Stellenbosch students to travel, for a whole 10 days,” Reynolds says.
“We really want to try our best to ensure that every member of the choir can embark on this journey, even if they’re not from a high income-bracket.”
On 12 August the choir will host a big concert in the Endler hall before they go on tour. They will be presenting their tour programme to the Stellenbosch audience. The funds raised by the show will go towards the expenses that the choir has had for their trip to Hungary.
The SUCC departs to Hungary on 14 August, where they will present pieces by various composers such as S. Le Roux Marais, Sacks Williams, Roelof Temmingh, Jake Runestad, Stephen M. Lounsbrough, Kim André Arnesen and more.
‘Different identities and missions for choirs’
Rumours that SUCC is more exclusive than SU choir is untrue, says Reynolds. “But because SUCC is a smaller group, there are less spaces to fill. We really try to put a group of good voices together, even if some of them can’t read music,” Reynolds says.
“The two choirs are completely different from each other. There is also no competitiveness, as the two choirs have different identities, different missions and methods.”
While the SU choir is viewed as a competition choir, the chamber choir doesn’t do competitions. The SUCC is used as a body for cultural and musical exchange. We would sing at a festival, but also be required to present workshops and work with school choirs,” Reynolds says.
By presenting workshops, master classes and recordings to younger singers, the SUCC-members share their skills. “It’s an educational body that shares music, and in turn also learns about other cultures,” Reynolds says.