Choir wins

The Stellenbosch University Choir made a clean sweep at the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales, which took place from July 5 to July 8, winning all three categories they participated in – Youth Choirs Mixed Choirs and Open Choirs. The choir finished first in the Youth Choir category with a score of 95,5%, won Mixed Choirs with 90,3% and Open Choirs with 95%. André van der Merwe, conductor of the SU Choir, was awarded the Jayne Davies Prize for Best Conductor at the Eisteddfod. Mr Van der Merwe says he is incredibly proud of the choir’s achievements in Wales. “The true spirit of making music together has triumphed. The warm reactions of audiences to our music was really moving. I feel the artistic dimension of the choir has deepened because we could share the soul of South Africa on an international stage,” he adds. This festival yearly attracts around 50 000 visitors and 4 000 participants, including 150 choirs, from across the world. The SU Choir was one of only four choirs invited to perform in the International Celebration Concert in front of an audience of 2 000, the official opening of the eisteddfod, and broadcast on British TV.