Drakensberg Boys' Choir School
Encyclopedia
Drakensberg Boys Choir School is a school near the small town of Winterton
, in the heart of the Drakensberg
mountain range in KwaZulu-Natal
, South Africa
.
It educates the members of Drakensberg Boys Choir. The school was founded in 1967 and claims to be the only choir school in Africa. Enrollment is approximately 100 boys aged 9 to 15. The school has a 600-seat auditorium constructed in 1995 and holds weekly concerts. The Choir has toured the USA, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mauritius and many African countries.
The Mission of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School is to prepare boys for life and leadership through excellence in music, academics, sport and social enrichment in a Christian
environment.
There are two clearly separate but at the same time closely related aspects of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School. There is the School itself and then there is the Choir, and the one cannot operate independently of the other. It is this co-existence that provides the Choir School with its unique and dynamic character. It is a unique institution in that it is the only Choir School in Africa, and there are probably very few other such similar musical / educational combinations in the world.
Within in a relatively short time, the enrolment increased substantially to a little over 100, with boys aged 9 - 15, allocated places in Grade 4 - 9, and this number has been sustained ever since.
In the 35 years of its existence, the School has faced enormous challenges in order to survive, not the least being the high cost of managing a specialised school with specialised staff in a somewhat isolated area in South Africa.
The entire Tungay family, Ron and Gwen and John, and subsequently Russell, were intimately involved in laying the foundations in one way and another of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School. How little they could have realised how much of a national asset their dreams and hard work, in often the most difficult and challenging circumstances, would become.
The Choir School draws its inspiration from the idyllic environment of the Champagne Valley situated in the Central Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, which is filled, daily, with the sound of boys singing, surely one of the purest expressions of musical delights in the world.
Set on a 100 acre (0.404686 km²) estate in the Drakensberg, the facilities at the school have from inception been based on a “farm school” structure. The move from a small 80 seater hall to a 600 seater auditorium in 1995 with modern sound and lighting equipment, allowed the choir to surge ahead. Today, the Auditorium is filled to near capacity during the weekly Wednesday concerts and music festivals throughout the year.
In partnership with corporate supporters, a strategic plan to upgrade facilities is currently in place and through a phased approach will see the conversion of the current infrastructure into modern facilities compete with the best independent schools in the country.
Even with the proposed upgrading, the country atmosphere will never be lost.
The size of the school dictates small classes and an enviable teacher / pupil ratio, which allows teachers to work with – and understand – each pupil as an individual
Every year, the Choir plans to tour overseas, and such is its national and international reputation, the School is able to generate funds for its Capital Development Plans and makes a major contribution in this way to its very high running expenses. As can be seen below, the Choir has represented its country on numerous occasions, bringing great credit to itself, and immense joy to its patrons.
The Choir has been to the United States four times, (with the freedom of Jacksonville, Spartanburg and a special award from Disney's Magic Kingdom
being conferred on them) and to Canada
. During their second visit to the USA, four soloists took the top honours at an International Singing Competition in Des Moines, Iowa
.
In Europe they have sung in the UK, Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, France, Portugal, Greece, Poland and, by Papal request, at the Vatican City
before 25,000 people. During the Choir School's 25th anniversary year, the Choir was acclaimed one of the best in the world in the triennial World Boys Choir Festival in Poznań
, Poland
.
The boys have toured much of Africa, singing in Egypt, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia. The boys have also undertaken tours to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Japan, Turkey, Finland, Australia and Scandinavia, and the Choir has just received an invitation to undertake tours to China and Korea.
One of the Choir's major triumphs has been its tours, at the invitation of the Min On Cultural Organisation, to Japan in 1997, 2001 and 2002.
In 1997, the Choir performed 32 concerts in a seven week tour, and sang to full houses on each occasion, the audiences totalling approximately 50,000 people. The undertaking was repeated in 2001, and the Choir experienced a similar reaction in 2002.
Botes Gresse. Christian Ashley-Botha - retired from the DBCS in 2006 after 26 years of loyal service. Rudolf de Beer - left in 2006 to take up a post at the University of Stellebosch. Bernard Kruger - left at the end of 2009 to take up the position of Choirmaster at Kearnsey College.
The choir is currently conducted by the school's Director of Music, Johann van der Sandt
, who joined the DBCS from the University of Pretoria and Bragi Þór Valsson who joins the choir from Iceland.
The Choir is representative of the multi-faceted cultures that make up South Africa
. It has created a new trend in the international choral scene that transcends the conventional. A unique style of diversity - Bach
, Beethoven
, Freddie Mercury
, African sounds, Jazz
, Folk, etc.
The Drakensberg Boys Choir captivates audiences with its unique and diverse style of music, which demonstrates the versatility and depth of the Choir’s ability. This can be especially seen and heard with the recent addition of more modern art music. The Choir is internationally acclaimed for its unique African repertoire, containing various traditional works like 'Shosholoza
', and 'Night Sounds' where the boys imitate the sounds of the African Bush. They also perform a ‘Gumboot Dance’, which originated on the South African mines. Using authentic African instruments and body percussion as accompaniment, the boys perform traditional African works as have never been experienced before!
The Choir also excels in music such as Handel’s "Messiah
", Mozart’s "Requiem
", Bernstein’s "Chichester Psalms
", Bach’s "Magnificat
", and many more works of this stature.
Winterton, KwaZulu-Natal
Winterton is a small town situated on the banks of the Tugela River in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1905 as Springfield when the Natal government built a weir across the Little Tugela River. The town later changed its name to Winterton...
, in the heart of the Drakensberg
Drakensberg
The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba , and in Sesotho as Maluti...
mountain range in KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
It educates the members of Drakensberg Boys Choir. The school was founded in 1967 and claims to be the only choir school in Africa. Enrollment is approximately 100 boys aged 9 to 15. The school has a 600-seat auditorium constructed in 1995 and holds weekly concerts. The Choir has toured the USA, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mauritius and many African countries.
The Mission of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School is to prepare boys for life and leadership through excellence in music, academics, sport and social enrichment in a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
environment.
There are two clearly separate but at the same time closely related aspects of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School. There is the School itself and then there is the Choir, and the one cannot operate independently of the other. It is this co-existence that provides the Choir School with its unique and dynamic character. It is a unique institution in that it is the only Choir School in Africa, and there are probably very few other such similar musical / educational combinations in the world.
History
On January 23 1967, John Tungay's dream became a reality, and the Drakensberg Boys Choir School opened its doors for the first time to 20 pupils, all of whom had been carefully selected from numerous auditions held across the country. The founder members are Leslie Legg , Begley Goodchild and Rennie Agnew .Within in a relatively short time, the enrolment increased substantially to a little over 100, with boys aged 9 - 15, allocated places in Grade 4 - 9, and this number has been sustained ever since.
In the 35 years of its existence, the School has faced enormous challenges in order to survive, not the least being the high cost of managing a specialised school with specialised staff in a somewhat isolated area in South Africa.
The entire Tungay family, Ron and Gwen and John, and subsequently Russell, were intimately involved in laying the foundations in one way and another of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School. How little they could have realised how much of a national asset their dreams and hard work, in often the most difficult and challenging circumstances, would become.
The Choir School draws its inspiration from the idyllic environment of the Champagne Valley situated in the Central Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, which is filled, daily, with the sound of boys singing, surely one of the purest expressions of musical delights in the world.
School
Facilities at the School have always been rather primitive, although in 2006 a brand new academic facility was opened. The construction of a six hundred seat Auditorium in 1995 with modern sound and lighting equipment, allowed the Choir School to surge further forward and upwards, with the result that at its weekly Wednesday Concerts, and its numerous festivals throughout the year, the Auditorium is filled to near capacity with tourists local and international tourists, visiting schools, and at the School's festivals, South African citizens from across the country. There has also been construction of a new boarding establishment, of which phase one was completed at the start of 2009. It has brought on a large improvement in privacy and comfort.Set on a 100 acre (0.404686 km²) estate in the Drakensberg, the facilities at the school have from inception been based on a “farm school” structure. The move from a small 80 seater hall to a 600 seater auditorium in 1995 with modern sound and lighting equipment, allowed the choir to surge ahead. Today, the Auditorium is filled to near capacity during the weekly Wednesday concerts and music festivals throughout the year.
In partnership with corporate supporters, a strategic plan to upgrade facilities is currently in place and through a phased approach will see the conversion of the current infrastructure into modern facilities compete with the best independent schools in the country.
Even with the proposed upgrading, the country atmosphere will never be lost.
The size of the school dictates small classes and an enviable teacher / pupil ratio, which allows teachers to work with – and understand – each pupil as an individual
Tours
From an early age, the Drakensberg Boys Choir has toured internationally, and the countries visited - and where the Choir has been received with consistent acclaim - include the USA and Canada in the West, Japan and Taiwan in the Far East, the entire continent of Africa, and virtually every country in Europe.Every year, the Choir plans to tour overseas, and such is its national and international reputation, the School is able to generate funds for its Capital Development Plans and makes a major contribution in this way to its very high running expenses. As can be seen below, the Choir has represented its country on numerous occasions, bringing great credit to itself, and immense joy to its patrons.
The Choir has been to the United States four times, (with the freedom of Jacksonville, Spartanburg and a special award from Disney's Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...
being conferred on them) and to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. During their second visit to the USA, four soloists took the top honours at an International Singing Competition in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
.
In Europe they have sung in the UK, Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, France, Portugal, Greece, Poland and, by Papal request, at the Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
before 25,000 people. During the Choir School's 25th anniversary year, the Choir was acclaimed one of the best in the world in the triennial World Boys Choir Festival in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
The boys have toured much of Africa, singing in Egypt, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia. The boys have also undertaken tours to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Japan, Turkey, Finland, Australia and Scandinavia, and the Choir has just received an invitation to undertake tours to China and Korea.
One of the Choir's major triumphs has been its tours, at the invitation of the Min On Cultural Organisation, to Japan in 1997, 2001 and 2002.
In 1997, the Choir performed 32 concerts in a seven week tour, and sang to full houses on each occasion, the audiences totalling approximately 50,000 people. The undertaking was repeated in 2001, and the Choir experienced a similar reaction in 2002.
The Music
Conductors of the Drakensberg Boys Choir have included:Botes Gresse. Christian Ashley-Botha - retired from the DBCS in 2006 after 26 years of loyal service. Rudolf de Beer - left in 2006 to take up a post at the University of Stellebosch. Bernard Kruger - left at the end of 2009 to take up the position of Choirmaster at Kearnsey College.
The choir is currently conducted by the school's Director of Music, Johann van der Sandt
Johann van der Sandt
Johann van der Sandt was born in the Free State Province of South Africa, He studied at the University of Pretoria where he obtained his B.Mus , B...
, who joined the DBCS from the University of Pretoria and Bragi Þór Valsson who joins the choir from Iceland.
The Choir is representative of the multi-faceted cultures that make up South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It has created a new trend in the international choral scene that transcends the conventional. A unique style of diversity - Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
, African sounds, Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, Folk, etc.
The Drakensberg Boys Choir captivates audiences with its unique and diverse style of music, which demonstrates the versatility and depth of the Choir’s ability. This can be especially seen and heard with the recent addition of more modern art music. The Choir is internationally acclaimed for its unique African repertoire, containing various traditional works like 'Shosholoza
Shosholoza
Shosholoza is a Ndebele folk song that originated in Zimbabwe but was popularized in South Africa. The song is a traditional South African Folk song was sung by Ndebele all-male migrant workers that were working in the South African mines in a call and response style...
', and 'Night Sounds' where the boys imitate the sounds of the African Bush. They also perform a ‘Gumboot Dance’, which originated on the South African mines. Using authentic African instruments and body percussion as accompaniment, the boys perform traditional African works as have never been experienced before!
The Choir also excels in music such as Handel’s "Messiah
Messiah (Handel)
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
", Mozart’s "Requiem
Requiem (Mozart)
The Requiem Mass in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed in Vienna in 1791 and left unfinished at the composer's death. A completion by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who had anonymously commissioned the piece for a requiem Mass to commemorate the...
", Bernstein’s "Chichester Psalms
Chichester Psalms
Chichester Psalms is a choral work by Leonard Bernstein for boy treble or countertenor, solo quartet, choir and orchestra...
", Bach’s "Magnificat
Magnificat (Bach)
The Magnificat in D major, BWV 243, is a major vocal work of Johann Sebastian Bach. It was composed for orchestra, a five-part choir and four or five soloists. The text is the canticle of Mary, mother of Jesus, as told by Luke the Evangelist .Bach composed an initial version in E flat major in 1723...
", and many more works of this stature.
Albums
The Drakensberg Boys Choir School has many CDs for sale from traditional African music to Andrew Lloyd Webber. These are available to order from the school's website.External links
- Official site
- Maria Magdalena de Beer: Die Bydrae van die Drakensberg Seunskoor tot die Musieklewe in Suid-Africa: 'n historiese Oorsig (Contribution of the Drakensberg Boys' Choir to music in South Africa), Fakulteit Geesteswetenskappe, Universiteit da Pretoria, April 2008
- Concert Review - Drakensberg Boys Choir - U.S. 3/2007, reviews by Lynn Schoch and Gene Hickman, ChoirBase
- J. B. Lan (Jiří Bulan): Slavík z Dračích hor, 2008 May 6, in Czech about the first Czech member of the school, in English about the school
- Drakensberg Boys Choir School, Discover Our Drakensberg – Your Guide to the Drakensberg Mountains and Natal Midlands.
- Andrew Marr: Boys Singing Together: A Brief History, boychoirs.org, 2005