Stellenbosch University Choir

Stellenbosch University Choir (Afrikaans: Stellenbosch Universiteitskoor) is a Choir attached to Stellenbosch University. Founded in 1936, it is the oldest choir in South Africa.^[1] The current conductor, André van der Merwe, was appointed at the beginning of 2003.^[2] The Stellenbosch University Choir has toured overseas extensively and won critical acclaim for its performances.^[3] The choir is viewed as a leading South African choral ensemble.^[4][5][6] In October 2016, the choir celebebrated its 80th anniversary with a reunion.^[7]

History

The choir was founded in 1936 by William Morris and has established itself as one of the best choirs in South Africa and the world.^[8][9]

Conductors

The current conductor of the choir is André van der Merwe (since 2003).^[10] Previous conductors include William Morris (1936-1939), who founded the choir in 1936, Gawie Cillie (1939-1955), Prof. Philip McLachlan (1956-1975), Prof. Johan de Villiers (1976-1984), Acama Fick (1985-1992), the first woman to conduct the choir, and Sonja van der Walt (1993-2002).^[11]

Notable Achievements

Interkultur World Rankings

Stellenbosch University Choir is currently rated as the top amateur choir in the world by the Interkultur Foundation world ranking system, with a score of 1260 points out of a possible 1272 points.^{[12][13][14][15]} The choir is also placed in the top 10 rankings for various categories, namely ninth in the Children's and Youth Choirs category, first in the Mixed Choirs category, first in the Sacred Music & Music of the Religions category, and first in the Pop, Jazz, Gospel, Spiritual & Barber Shop category.^[16]

World Choir Games

Stellenbosch University Choir first attended the Interkultur World Choir Games in 2004, at the 3rd World Choir Games held in Bremen, Germany.^[17]

* World Choir Games record

Other

At the 9th World Choir Games in 2016, the choir was awarded the Hänssler-INTERKULTUR CD Award, as the best choir at the event.^[24] The award includes an album deal with the Hänssler Classic record label.^[25]

References