For Pringle Bay resident, Etienne de Villiers, a computer game programmer, finding music, albeit quite late in life, helped him process losing a spouse to suicide.
In 2019, at the age of 39, he decided to learn the piano. A few years later, Cornelia de Villiers, his wife of 17 years, passed away after a long mental health struggle.
“As a way to cope with my grief, I turned to the piano and started writing songs for the first time. These songs, although born from grief, are not songs of grief, but therapy through the expression of music. These solo piano pieces are in the neoclassical style.
“I am searching for beauty and meaning through melodies and harmonies. The music is unfettered and uncomplicated but speaks to me and I hope to others too,” he says.
Etienne and Cornelia de Villiers were regulars at Brian Berkman’s long table in Pringle Bay and, later, following Cornelia’s death that table was also the place where Etienne met Tamzyn, with whom, later still, he found happiness again and married.
“My mission in the world is to connect people, places and products”, says Pringle Proms founder, Brian Berkman adding that he especially enjoys doing this around his long table, sharing food, creativity and, love.
Mr De Villiers will be the third guest to appear at a Pringle Proms event following Pieter-Dirk Uys who brought his Evita @ 88 show in December last year and David and Renaye Kramer who visited in June and shared their life in music and theatre.
Join The Pringle Proms on Saturday September 21, at 6pm for a buffet dinner followed by an intimate night of original solo piano music, written and performed by Mr de Villiers.
He will, for the first time, perform the compositions from his upcoming debut album, Inversion, which will be released on Friday September 27.
Tickets are R250 each and are available at Quicket.co.za
