University of Pretoria Camerata

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

The University Of Pretoria Camerata is one of five choirs that the University of Pretoria, South Africa has on its campus. The other four are The University Of Pretoria Chorale, The University Of Pretoria Youth Choir, The University Of Pretoria Children's Choir and the The University Of Pretoria Concert Choir.

Contents

[edit] Biography

The Camerata was officially established on 20th March 1968. It's mission is to make a contribution towards the cultural development of the student corps and the cultural enrichment of the community by means of choral singing. The choir also endeavours to promote a worthy image of the the University Of Pretoria through striving towards the highest possible artistic standards together with a code of conduct that meets the highest requirements of companionship.

The choir operates under the auspices of the Department of Music of the University Of Pretoria. The conductors have always aimed for high artistic values. The choir has previously been conducted by:

  • Adolf Theron
  • Willem van Tonder
  • Prof. Petru Grabe

And from January 1999 to present:

The choir currently has 65 members although the numbers vary between years.

[edit] Highlights and achievements

[edit] Repertoire

The choirs larger scope works include: Missa Criolla (Ramirez), The Messiah (Handel), Weihnachtsoratorium (Bach), Missa Solemnis (Mozart), Mass in E Minor (Bruckner), Requiem (Fauré), Requiem (Mozart), Ein Deutsches Requiem (Brahms), Elijah (Fauré), Magnificat (Bach), A Carol Cantata (Hendrik Hofmeyer), Carmina Burana (Orff)

The Repertoire for 2007 includes:

[edit] Membership

Membership of the choir is open to all registered students of the University of Pretoria younger than 30 years. Members have to successfully pass and audition. The first round of auditions is held in September of every year and consists of theory test, a vocal placement test and a individual sung audition in front of an audience. The second round of auditions takes place in February of the next year where successful candidates from the first round are expected to sing some of the years repertoire in groups of four (one person per voice group).

[edit] Cultural development

The choir regards it as its duty to play a formative role in the cultural-spiritual endowment of its members within the milieu of discipline and commitment. Amidst the great need for expertise in choral conducting, the Tuks Camerata endeavours to be a training ground for future choir conductors.

[edit] The conductor

Johann van der Sandt received his formal training at the University of Pretoria. In January 1996 he received the Diploma in Choral Conducting at the Institute of Choral Conductors Training, Gorinchem (The Netherlands) under the direction of Joop Schets. He completed his Doctoral studies in choral conducting (Performing Art) in July 2001 (the first South African to obtain a doctorate in choral conducting). Undergraduate music studies included organ, piano, clarinet and vocal training. He has been involved in choral work as a composer, conductor, arranger and adjudicator, on national as well as international level throughout his career.

Van der Sandt is currently Professor in Choral Conducting at the University of Pretoria, and the official Choral conductor of the University where he implemented a unique model for choral singing on South African University campuses.

Recent invitations include:

  • Guest conductor of the Prague Chamber Choir, concert dates still to be determined.
  • Permanent jury member for the International Festival and Competition of Advent and Christmas Music, Prague, Czech Republic.
  • Jury member for the 41st International Choir competition in Spittal, Austria.
  • Guest conductor for the Austrian government's Bundesministerium für soziale Sicherheit und Generationen in Graz, Austria (2002 and 2003)
  • Guest lecturer at the Institute of Music Pedagogy of The University of Music and Art, Graz, Austria; 2003.
  • Guest lecturer and conductor on the choral traditions of South Africa at The Performing Arts Institute of Wyoming Seminary (USA) (2004,2005 and 2006).
  • Guest conductor for Vorarlberg's Choral Association in Bregenz, Austria (2004 and 2006).
  • Guest Conductor in November 2005 for a combined choir of members of Musica and Cantinovum Chamber Choirs, Jyväskylä, Finland. The concert featured contemporary South African choral repertoire.
  • Guest lecturer at the Department of Musicology, University of Jyväskylä and the school of Music, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences, Finland (2004, 2005 and 2006).

Choirs under his direction have won numerous choral competitions, both on international and national level. The Tuks Camerata won the first prize in the acclaimed International Choral Competition, Spittal an der Drau, Austria, July 2001. They attained a percentage of 98% in the competition. In the same year they were awarded the prize for the best rendition of a prescribed work in the Arnhem International Choral Competition (The Netherlands). Choirs (The Rand Afrikaans University Choir and the University Choir of Pretoria) under his direction have been awarded the Grand Prix award at the Prague International Choral Competition for two years consecutively.

As conductor he has been awarded: winner of price for best conductor with the East Rand Youth Choir's participation at the 16th International Béla Bartók Choir Competition, Debrecen, Hungary, and in 1998, winner of price for best conductor with the Rand Afrikaans University Choir's participation at the Prague International Choir Competition, Czech Republic.

He is also conductor of the Sinkronies Chamber Choir. The choir’s aim is to form a podium for the work of South African composers. In this way the choir endeavours to make a contribution to the archive of South African choral music. The choir was already nominated for two South African Music Awards in the category: Best Choral Performance. The choir won the 1998 South African Music Award for their recording of the sacred a capella works of the Stellenbosch composer Pieter van der Westhuizen. In 2006 Van der Sandt put together Cant'Afrika, a singing group of 12 singers whose aim it is to study and perform works of South African composers.

He made his debut as choral conductor in 1989 with the Impromptu Chamber Choir. He led the East Rand Youth Choir for six years (1993-1997). He strived to establish the choir as one of the leading youth choirs in the country with an extensive and diverse repertoire: simple South African and African folk songs, standard a capella compositions and works by South African composers. In July 1994 the choir took part in the 16th Béla Bartók Choral Competition, Hungary, where they won the folklore section and they received the 2nd prize in the Mixed Youth Choir Section. At the same event Johann received the prize for the 2nd best conductor.

He has attended the World Choral Music Symposia in Vancouver, Canada, August 1993, Sydney, Australia, August 1996, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 1999; Minneapolis, 2002, as well as the European Symposium on Choral Music in Ljubljana, Slovenia, during July 1995. Under invitation from Eric Ericson he attended the following master-classes:

  • 1996 December: Amsterdam (Choir: Netherlands Chamber Choir).
  • 1998 February; Amsterdam (Choir: Netherlands Chamber Choir)

Van der Sandt is also a composer and is well known for his choral arrangements, performed by national and international choirs. His first publication, in co-operation with the composer Niel van der Watt, was published in June of 1995 - African songbook for mixed choir. Under his artistic direction the German label Prospect have launched the CD series South African Choral Music.

[edit] Voice trainer

Isabella Eksteen is the Camerata's full time voice trainer who works individually and with small groups of the choir to ensure correct sound production and singing technique.

[edit] Upcoming performances

At the end of February 2007 the Camerata will be performing Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert with an international choir and Conductor from Norway as well as a full bigband. In June July 2007 the Camerata will be travelling to Austria and Italy and will be taking part in the 46th International Competition of Choral Music to be held in Gorizia from the 4th-9th July.

The choir will also be performing a number of concerts throughout the year including two mini tours, the first to Nelspruit and the second to Stellenbosch to take part in the KUESTA festival in September 2007.

[edit] Recordings

The choir has released a number of CD's in conjunction with the Singkronies Chamber Choir, The University Of Pretoria Chorale and Cant'Afrika.

The most recent CD's are:

  • An international Collection of Choral Music - The University Of Pretoria Camerata (2006)
  • Khutso - Chant for Peace - Singkronies Chamber Choir, The University Of Pretoria Chorale and Cant'Afrika (2006)

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../u/n/i/University_of_Pretoria_Camerata_011f.html"