Our children worked hard and learnt a lot from Mr Berger during the master classes in August. Herewith his impressions of South Africa and our children.

“The Children dance all the time and everywhere”

Translation of an interview with Martin Berger (Würzburg Domkapellmeister) that was published in the Pressestelle Ordinariat Würzburg’s (POW) Nachrichten.

During August 2007 Martin Berger from Würzburg presented Master Classes in choir singing and a concert with the Eastern Cape Children’s Choir in Port Elizabeth.  In this interview he spoke about his experiences "in another part of our planet".

POW: You are presently a guest at the Eastern Cape Children’s Choir and the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.  What new experiences did you gain from these master classes in South Africa?

Martin Berger (MB): I find it enriching to work in another country with a different culture.  South Africa is 12 000 kilometers from Germany in another part of our planet and is very different. Two years ago we travelled to South Africa with the Würzburger Domsingknaben, hosted by the Eastern Cape Children’s Choir (ECCC), also giving a concert in Port Elizabeth. This concert received a lot of attention in the local press. Last year, the Würzburger Domsingknaben received the ECCC, one of the best children’s choirs in South Africa, to perform in one of our church services and also give a concert.  Lionel van Zyl, Leader of this choir and Deputy Head of the Music Department of the Nelson Mandela University, invited me to present Master Classes in Port Elizabeth.  The goal was firstly to realise European choir music of a high  standard with these children and secondly to use this visit to share new developments in the field of choir work with South African students and lecturers.  His invitation and his many contacts gave me the opportunity to travel in the country to share my knowledge in the field of choir leadership and also to benefit from the knowledge of South African colleagues.  The University has also appointed me as a jury member for the selection of highly talented students to receive scholarships from the renowned Charles Bryar Fund.

POW: Choir leadership in South Africa: Can this be compared to your task in Würzburg?  What are the differences?

Berger:  The main difference lies in the interaction between the different South African cultures and levels of society that are present in the ECCC.  Afrikaner, Xhosa, Zulu, Coloured have their own distinct cultural and historical backgrounds and totally different approaches to singing.  In Europe, singing is nearly exclusively practised as an art form, while for the indigenous South African population groups it is part of their identity.  Black children dance and sing always and everywhere as expression of their emotions.  For a musician this is a fantastic experience.  The musical ground rules are immensely varied.  South Africa has eleven official languages and as many population groups.  For 90% of the population, English is not the mother tongue, but a general substitute language.  This means that not only the choir leader, but also all the children are constantly engaging in a foreign language.

POW: How do you mesh all these different cultures?

Berger:  The traditions and cultures of these children could not be more diverse.  Xhosa and Zulu children find it difficult to embrace our European art music and our style of choir music.  For them singing is the individual expression of emotion, and for many of them it is difficult to comprehend the concept of working intensively on a musical piece.  My idea that a practice session should at least have a punctual beginning, was buried on the first day. Furthermore, the concept of musical precision is not an ideal in many of the cultures from which these children come.  This is not a problem for musically trained children from mainly white well-off families.  There are also enormous social differences.  Children from very rich families sing together with children from the townships who often do not have a second meal per day to complement a school meal.  It is difficult to imagine more extremes.  Such a children’s choir mirrors the situation in this country that must strive to even out the extremes and unite the differences.

POW:  How did you experience the African children and youth in the choir and in song?

Berger:  Very open, very motivated, very grateful and above all, very satisfied.  The children often laugh unrestrained and with joy.  Most touching is that nothing is taken for granted.  The fact that someone has come to them to work with them is colossal motivation for these children.  I found their gratitude especially moving.  There was hardly a child that did not write me a personal thank-you letter or card.  It is not often that one experiences this in life.  In Germany we perhaps take too much for granted - we could learn a lot from these South African children. 

With thanks to translator, Ilse van Niekerk. Original in German available on request by sending and e-mail to info@eccchoir.com.

This choir, through its song, has inspired not only composers, but also a poet or two. The latest to put pen to paper, is Mr Van Zyl's neighbour, Louis Kamfer. A warm thank you to you, sir!

DIE OOS-KAAP KINDERKOOR
ONDER LEIDING VAN LIONEL VAN ZYL

Elke Woensdag, elke Vrydag
word daar rugbreek-hard gewerk.
Dan oefen Meester en sy kinders
aan hul koorsang vir die kerk.

Hy vorm uit reënboogkinders
die Oos-Kaap Kinderkoor,
wat hul harmonieë uitsing
soos in Halle laas gehoor.

Met die oplig van ‘n vinger,
of die wegdraai van ‘n wang
neem hy die onskuld van hul lewens
en sit dit in hul sang.

Hoor hoe sweef die kinderstemme!
Lewerik en nagtegaal!
So maak Lionel en sy kinders
van ons kerk ‘n katedraal.

Louis Kamfer. PE, 29/9/07

 Oh yes, and remember, we never delete the journal from the website.
It is converted to a PDF file and stored in the Journal Archive below.

Vaskivuori Chamber Choir, Vantaa, Finland
This secondary school choir impressed us very much with their clear, open sound during their visit to Port Elizabeth in November 2006. Their concert consisted mostly of Finnish Folk Music, which the audience found perfectly enchanting!

Brigham Young University Singers