By Inge van der Westhuizen
As the Stellenbosch University (SU) Choir approaches its 90th anniversary this year, it stands as a global beacon for amateur choral excellence. Holding the title for the No.1 Amateur Choir in the world on the Interkultuur World Ranking for twelve years (2012-2024), these singers have been defining international standards for decades. Most recently, the Choir achieved outstanding results at the 2025 European Choir Games in Denmark, reaching scores as high as 96,56%.
“Every year anything between 350 and 500 people audition for the choir, from which I choose roughly 40 members,” said André van der Merwe, the current conductor of the choir. “This is rather unique and something to be proud of.”
With just under 100 choristers from all across the faculties of the university, including the Tygerberg Campus, the SU Choir has reached unprecedented success in amateur choral singing, and draws fans from all around the world through their annual repertoire recordings on Youtube, according to an official overview written by SU Choir manager, Corné Venter.
The document also said that the SU Choir was founded by William Morris in 1936 and at the time merely consisted of a small group of enthusiasts. In the nine decades since, it has expanded and grown through radio and television broadcasts, regular concerts, global competitive rankings, and even a budding social media presence.
A close call
The choir’s long legacy was nearly silenced in 1999 when the SU Council issued a directive to disband the choir. “The university felt that the SU Choir was losing its relevance with audiences,” said Van der Merwe, who was a panel member to discuss the situation at the time.
Saartjie Botha, the Director of the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, further described some audience dissatisfaction regarding the type of music the choir was singing at the time, as well as concerns surrounding their funding.
“Of course, funds at the university are always scarce,” said Botha. When Acáma Fick (conductor from 1985 to 1992) led the choir, her position had been split between academic duties and conducting. Sonja van der Walt’s (conductor from 1993 to 2002) position was not an academic one; she had been appointed solely for the choir.
“I believe the prevailing sentiment in the music department at the time was that, since the university Choir comprised students from all faculties rather than just music students, the department, which was under financial pressure, should not have to fund a half-post for someone who did not work directly with music students,” Botha said.
She said it was reportedly believed that Johan de Villiers’s Libertas Choir could effectively take over the university Choir’s ceremonial duties, since De Villiers had previously been the conductor of the SU Choir.
Pressure from Die Matie
According to Die Matie articles at the time, the decision to disband the choir triggered public outcry, and led to organised protests, petitions with thousands of signatures, and intense pressure from the media.
“The media, including the voice of Die Matie, certainly helped make everyone aware that the SU Choir’s harmony cannot be silenced. We are the oldest university choir in the country, and our body of alumni is large and passionate! People underestimated that,” Van der Merwe said.
According to the SU Choir overview, the threat of withdrawn support from key donors, along with public pressure, ultimately forced the SU Council to rescind this directive. By the year 2000, a new constitution was established for the choir to protect them from further threats.
A new era
The SU Choir’s most successful era began in 2003, when Van der Merwe became the conductor and took the Choir to unprecedented heights. “My task was difficult at the start. The SU Choir had to find a unique voice in a changing world,” he said.
“Change is always difficult. To this day, I often find myself caught between two fires: there are expectations in certain quarters that the Choir should be a beacon for Afrikaans. On the other hand, the Choir must also reflect our complex society and increasingly find an adaptable voice. Amidst all this, the integrity of ensemble singing must remain the primary priority,” said Van der Merwe.
“Today, the Choir is more diverse in terms of language and culture than it was back then. The passion for singing remains the same, but I find that the diverse cultures within the choir give us a more exciting energy. And a more meaningful voice.”
The Choir made history in 2014 when they achieved a score of 99% at the World Choir Games in Latvia – the highest ever recorded in the competition’s history.
The Choir’s world-famous status has been reaffirmed countless times, from reaching 15 million views on their YouTube-recording of “Baba Yetu” by Christopher Tin, to meeting Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who reportedly admitted to being a fan, during their tour to Japan in 2023.
“A major highlight was the Choir reaching the number one spot on Interkultur’s ranking of the top 1 000 amateur choirs worldwide. We held this position from 2012 to 2023,” said van der Merwe.
Members of the Choir informally refer to themselves as a “family of voices”. Van der Merwe said, “The SU Choir draws members from across the country; this diversity and youthful spirit gives the choir a unique energy in its interpretations.”
Celebrating 90
A reunion for the Choir is being planned as part of the SU Homecoming weekend in September, to celebrate their 90th anniversary. Botha said activities will include a choir rehearsal on 12 September for all past members led by Leon Starker, conductor of the Cape Town Camerata choir, where they will learn five well-known songs from the eras of the Choir’s various conductors.
This will be followed by a mass-choir performance in the Moederkerk on 13 September, after which the alumni can attend a performance by the current Choir at the Endler Hall in the afternoon, said Botha.
TIMELINE
William Morris (1936–1939): Founded the Choir in 1936 with a small group of music enthusiasts.
Professor Gawie Cillié (1939–1955): Broadened the Choir’s reach by introducing concert tours and radio broadcasts, between 150 and 200 choristers at a time.
Professor Philip McLachlan (1956–1975): Limited the Choir to 60 members to achieve a more demanding standard of repertoire, which earned the ensemble its first international acclaim in Europe.
Professor Johan de Villiers (1976–1984): Under his leadership, the Choir toured overseas regularly and won the national SABC-TV Choir competition in 1983.
Acáma Fick (1985–1992): The first woman to conduct the Choir, she led them to release the first-ever CD by a South African university choir in 1992.
Sonja van der Walt (1993–2002): Expanded the Choir’s a cappella repertoire and successfully navigated the ensemble through the 1999 disbandment crisis.
André van der Merwe (2003–Present): Propelled the Choir to its status as the No. 1 Amateur Choir in the world, a title it held for 12 years. Notable achievements include a record-breaking 99% score at the 2014 World Choir Games and three gold medals at the 2025 European Choir Games.
