The Symphony Choir of Cape Town

Archive for the ‘Stories from the Choir’ Category

 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC

By Nadia Essop

Miss Pretty Yende won the World Opera Competition, Operalia 2011. Operalia is an annual event that attracts hundreds of hopefuls from across the world. The soprano triumphed in 3 categories! Pretty Yende is a South African – she is of Zulu ancestry.

One may wonder what the colour of her skin, her small town roots, or her cultural heritage have to do with her credibility as an opera singer. Nothing… Except perhaps, as reason to pause and reflect on our South African musical past. During Apartheid it was undoubtedly a different experience for gifted young singers, as well as for members of the audience.

 My mother loves to reminisce about the ‘good old days’, how she would endure the 60 km expedition from Paarl to Cape Town, to attend the opera. The train journey would involve a segregated ticket office, a segregated pedestrian bridge, and separate carriages according to the colour of one’s skin. She would sit in the gallery of the Cape TownCity Hall, mesmerised by the music, the sets, and the unfolding drama. But her reminiscence invariably concludes with the same recollection: how, at the end of a performance, she was approached by a stranger, who was astounded that someone like herself – a person from a different culture and race – could appreciate classical music. All these years later, she still mutters and shakes her head in disbelief.

When my mother was young, classical music and musical instruments were considered a status symbol, a privilege which few people from our side of  town could afford. But our community was not bereft of musical talent. I recently went to visit the retired tenor, Mr Gerald Samaai, at his home in thePaarlValley. His wife, Serena, hauled out albums bulging with photographs and newspaper cuttings. We were ready for a saunter down memory lane.

 As a young man, Gerald Samaai went toJohannesburgto pursue studies towards a teachers diploma – a sensible career choice. But fate had other plans. Music teacher Stenck Grijzenhout was walking past the dorm one morning, when he heard singing emanate from the showers. He offered Gerald Samaai singing lessons.

It was 1959, the Apartheid era. Being talented and passionate about singing was not enough. As a coloured opera singer, the pursuit of his dream would involve an obstacle course of discriminatory laws. Even so, Gerald Samaai embraced his vocal training.

 Once back in theCape, he joined a cultural organization based in District Six, the Eoan group. He would travel from Paarl toCape Townfor rehearsals, usually after work or over weekends. Nobody was compensated for travelling expenses, and neither were they paid for performances. Referring to the Eoan membership fee, he chuckles, “we were the only singers who had to pay to sing!”

Furthermore, few venues were available to them because of Apartheid policies governing group areas, freedom of movement, and the mingling of the races. They often staged productions at theCape TownCity Hall, a barrier segregating the audience. But there’s no trace of self-pity, “ Dr Joseph Manca, our musical director, and Alessandro Rota, our vocal trainer, urged us to get ready, to push harder. We did not refer to themselves as ‘coloured singers’, rather as ‘excellent singers’”.

Both Joseph Manca and Alessandro Rota were of Italian descent, and at times the singers costumes were made inItaly, and sent toSouth Africain time for their performance.

 Emerging artists of any era have a difficult time launching their careers, and talent is hardly enough to guarantee success. But the obstacles facing artists during Apartheid must have been disheartening. During its 79 year existence the Eoan group has had to navigate the ever-changing political landscape and its challenges, as well as how Eoan is perceived and received by the community they had set out to serve.

 When asked why he persevered, Gerald Samaai replies, “for the love of music.” His diligence bore fruit, and he performed all overSouth Africa: Verdi’s La Traviata, Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Donizetti’s Elixir of Love, Verdi’s Rigoletto. He sang his way toAberdeenandLondon, and he always flew home again, to Paarl.

Although much is left to be desired – such as adequate state funding for the arts -South Africahas changed, we have come a long way. Pretty Yende’s costumes are probably also sewn inItaly – she is currently a resident singer at La Scala Opera inMilan,Italy. In a world of possibilities one wonders, whether in time, she too will fly home again toSouth Africa.

11 January 2012

Carmina Burana: quest for redemption?

By Nadia Essop

September 2011, Baxter Auditorium, Cape Town. Maestro Alexander Fokkens sweeps his baton and unleashes ‘O Fortuna’, a gateway to some primal energy. Goosebumps crawl across the flesh, the heart pounds, and there is no time to exhale. The choir falls from fortissimo to pianissimo, and a steady plea ensues. But nothing is as it seems. Below the surface of crisp words brews something unsettling, something urgent. The murmur steadily swells, until its force is let loose on one long breath: ‘Let us mourn together, for fate crushes the brave.’

  The story of the Carmina Burana begins over 700 years ago. The Catholic Church was the most powerful authority during the Medieval Times, and regulated all aspects of life. Even so, there was room for rebellion. The Goliards were groups of clergymen, poets, intellectuals and students who wandered through the landscape of the Dark Ages. They carried the flame of truth through their plays, poetry, and songs. Their poems, though in essence a form of resistance, reflected observations about life, love, debauchery, nature, and the fickleness of fate.

In 1803 an old manuscript (circa 1230) was discovered in a monastery in Bavaria, Germany. It contained hundreds of Goliard writings, and remains the largest surviving collection of medieval poetry. It had been waiting for 573 years!

 Carl Orff  the composer, was prepared when fate knocked at his door: he had a passion for the languages of antiquity, and he was experimenting with new forms of music. Much like the Goliard poetry was concise, Carl Orff wanted to simplify music to its basic components. From the  hundreds of poems written in Latin, old French and German, he selected 25. These he set to his own music, in an arrangement that was innovative for its time.

The Goliards roamed throughEuropein pursuit of their truth, vigilant of the power of the church. Carl Orff lived under Hitler’s reign. He had to navigate his artistic ambitions through the dangers of a horrific era. Conflict situations compel every individual to take a stand, to make choices and sacrifices – musicians are not exempt.

 The Carmina Burana became Carl Orff’s greatest success, and O Fortuna its most recognizable tune, but it came at a price. Some of his personal choices during the war, continue to cloud his legacy: was he a Nazi sympathiser, was he a fence sitter, was he wracked with guilt, …

On the other hand, Carl Orff’s legacy includes an altruistic body of work. His Orff-Schulwerk is an integrated approach to teaching music and movement to children. It is still used and respected by educationists worldwide.

Above all else, his music speaks for him. Carmina Burana transcends the meaning found in words, but is paradoxically dependant on the energy of these words. The music speaks in turn of wrath, lyricism, hysteria, humour, divinity. O Fortuna in particular, has a pulsing life-force that begs the question: at what price redemption?

Reflections on the Bach Concert held in April 2011 – By Choir member, Rev Harry Wiggett (bass)

 I have a tale to tell:

 For Jean and me it was a very special event:

 Some years ago Archbishop Desmond Tutu made it possible for our younger son, David, to complete his schooling – standards nine and ten – at Bishops provided he went as a boarder. Quite a challenge for a teenage boy to join such an established fraternity of scholars at that stage of his schooling. But, it paid dividends inasmuch as David became afire for education and now, on the eve of his 39th birthday has been appointed Head of Aurora Independent School in Johannesburg.

 At the beginning of his matric year he was appointed head-of-choir at Bishops and we had the immense joy of worshipping in the Bishops Chapel and hearing the Magnificat (but not the Bach!) sung as part of the Evening Service. And so it was very special for Jean and me too be singing – to the glory of God and in thanksgiving for David’s new appointment - in a venue that was influential in his spiritual formation and his wholeness as a person.

 On the day before the concert I put my back out, and, because of the increasing discomfort felt, at one  stage, that I might not be able to sing. The fact that it was likely that the choir would be required to stand throughout the performance weighed heavily in favour of my not singing.

 However, Jean asked two of her prayer-friends to pray about this. I meanwhile donned concert raiment and we made our way solemnly to Bishops. 

 You can imagine my deep down joy when I discovered chairs being moved into the sanctuary area for the choir! I knew all would be well. My back would last the rigours of the Wachet Auf and the Magnificat.

 And so, as the singing of the Verdi Requiem in the City hall with the Orchestra under Victor Yampolski was a dream come true; so Sunday afternoons’ performance of the Magnificat in the Bishops Chapel (with our very dear friend Marion Lewin playing her cello) and Alexander conducting those superb musicians and soloists was a dream come true and a fitting act of gratitude for what the Bishops Chapel has meant to us for many years.

 Just thought you’d like to share our joy!

VERDI REQIEM…..October 2010

I am perpetually fascinated and amazed at the experience of life being like a jig-saw puzzle with pieces being fitted into place each day, adding to the wonder and colourfulness of the whole picture as it builds with purposefulness towards an eventual completion.

The Cape Town Symphony and Philharmonia Choirs joint venture in the performances of the Verdi Reqiem proved to add specially lovely pieces to mine and Jean’s joint and individual puzzles:

For over 50 years now Jean and I have derived immense pleasure from attending orchestral rehearsals and concerts in the City Hall. And so it was with a sense of deep gratitude that we were able to sing together for the first time on the City Hall stage with the orchestra under Maestro Victor Yampolsky. Read the rest of this entry »

VERDI MESSA DA REQUIEM

Twice in the last few years our choir has sung major requiems very soon after the deaths of significant persons in my life.  We sang the Mozart requiem under the baton of Richard Cock just a few weeks after the death of my father and now we sang Verdi’s one quite soon after my mother-in- law’s death.  So I started thinking about the concept of requiems in general. Read the rest of this entry »