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About Us
Welcome to the website of the Symphony Choir of Cape Town.
The SCCT was founded in 1972 as an adjunct to the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra, performing major choral works each year under the baton of well-known guest conductors. Since 1992 the Choir has been an independent body and has promoted and managed its own concerts.
While singing major choral works remains its main objective, the Choir also performs smaller scale works as well. For many years now the SCCT has participated in the “Last Night of the Proms” community concerts organised by Rotary. Choirs from the Greater Cape Town area are invited to collaborate with the SCCT in some concerts as part of a policy to support such choirs.
The SCCT aims to put on an average of 4 concerts per year. It consists of between 40 and 50 members from all walks of life with a common love of choral music and new members are always welcome (please see “Sing with us” link for more information).
We rehearse weekly in Rondebosch and perform in a variety of venues such as City Hall, Bishops Chapel, Artscape Theatre and St George’s Catherdral. The choir is directed by Alex Fokkens and run by a committee headed by a chairman and made up of choir members. The SCCT is a non-profit organisation and, as such, works hard to gain sponsorship and funding from corporates and private individuals.
As It Is In Cape Town
`AS IT IS IN CAPE TOWN . . .’
First-class choirs can’t be created without the occasional clanging note
By
HILARY BASSETT
As anyone who saw the movie “As it is in Heaven” will know, creating a good choir out of a rich assortment of people connected by nothing more than their love of singing is no simple matter. The Symphony Choir of Cape Town may not boast quite the drama of its famous Swedish counterpart, but it’s had enough clashes, turbulence, discordant notes and big bangs in the past few years for its present harmony to be well worth celebrating.
Alexander Fokkens, The Symphony Choir’s Musical Director
Alex Fokkens
The Symphony Choir is fortunate indeed to have Alexander Fokkens, one of Cape Town’s rising musical stars, as its Director. He communicates his own love of music, and the Choir has learned to respond to his interpretations in a way that makes for exciting and dynamic performances.
South African born conductor, Alexander Fokkens, was recently appointed the Artistic Director of the Free State Symphony Orchestra in Bloemfontein. He also holds the positions of Resident Conductor at the University of the Cape Town; Music Director of the Symphony Choir of Cape Town; Resident Conductor of the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra; Adjunct Lecturer in Double Bass at the University of Cape Town; and General Music Director of the Swakopmund Musikwoche in Namibia.
Alexander received his Bachelor of Music Degree in Double Bass from the University of Cape Town and his Masters Degree in Double Bass Performance and additional studies in Theory and Conducting at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.
As a student he often appeared to critical acclaim with the UCT Symphony Orchestra and Opera School; and served as the Assistant Conductor for orchestras at TCU as well as an Adjunct Faculty member.
From 1999 – 2005 he served as Director of Orchestral Activities and conductor of the Aberdeen University / Civic Symphony in Aberdeen, South Dakota; and from 2001 – 2003 served as conductor for the Fargo Moorhead Area Youth Symphony in Fargo, North Dakota.
He has served as a guest conductor for numerous orchestras and festivals in the USA and Africa; conducting, amongst others, the Latien Weed Honours Orchestra (South Dakota, USA), the Kwazulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, Cape Town Opera, JMI Orchestra, the Black Tie Opera company, Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, South African National Youth Concert Orchestra, Free State Symphony Orchestra and Youth Orchestra; and the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa. In August 2006, he made his European conducting debut, conducting Joplin’s opera Treemonisha in La Turbie, France.
He strives to collaborate with as many different musicians from as many different backgrounds as possible. Recently performed works include composers Jeanne Zaidel Rudolf, Robert Fokkens, Francois Sarhan; and collaboration with the Fazeka High School Choir, Rap Artist/Poet Tumi Molekane and Poet/Musician Koos Kombuis.
His conducting teachers include Omri Hadari, Gerard Korsten and German Gutierrez. He has participated in master classes with Henry Charles Smith, William LaRue Jones, Jorge Mester, Joann Falletta, Leslie B. Dunner and Ron Spiegelman.
He currently lives in Cape Town with his wife, pianist Margaret Foxcroft, and their four children.