MUSIC DIRECTOR’S REPORT 2025
2025 was a wonderful and full year for the choir. We sang two smaller works (Schubert’s Mass in G & Rutter Feel the Spirit), and three larger works (Bach’s St John’s Passion, Verdi’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Elijah). We were blessed by wonderful soloists and excellent playing from the orchestras, and a very good collaboration with the Philharmonia Choir of Cape Town. There were many highlights and I think the choir was singing as well as they ever have over the 45 years. The Christmas Concert was also a highlight for me because of my association over many years with John Rutter, and the fact that we had 19 tenors was memorable.
I really did notice an amazing improvement in the quality of the singing and a huge amount of enthusiasm. This was accentuated by our participation in the Bocelli Concert and the Last Night of the Proms which were both a great success.
The process of finding a new Director for the choir is almost complete and by Easter we will know who is going to lead the choir into the next phase of its life. It has been one of the great pleasures of my life to serve you over the last 45 years, and I will follow the choir’s fortunes with great interest in the years to come. Change is never easy, but I urge you to be patient, sensitive and supportive while the process unfolds. I also look forward to working with you in extra concerts in the years to come (Last Night of the Proms, Songs of Praise, etc.).
With renewed thanks to all our Patrons, Sponsors and Friends, who continue to support us through thick and thin. And a huge vote of thanks to the committee, who have been working very hard behind the scenes to maintain our long-term stability and viability. I would also like to thank Sue, who has helped me with the Choir rehearsals and to Eugene Joubert who accompanies the Choir. And a very big thank you to Pridwin School, St Luke’s, and St Francis who make their facilities available to us for our rehearsals.
RICHARD COCK: Music Director
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2025
In 2025, the Choir performed Schubert’s Mass in G, Rutter’s Feel the Spirit, Bach’s St John Passion, Verdi’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and two Christmas concerts. The two Elijah concerts were performed in conjunction with the Philharmonia Choir of Cape Town (PCCT). The performance in Cape Town was well received and the PCCT treated us well. Needless to say Debbie and team excelled and a number of the PCCT members commented on the friendliness and professionalism of the SCJ – well done. The Easter and Christmas concerts were performed to full houses, with good attendance at the other concerts. As this was Richard’s last year as Music Director, these memorable performances were mostly large works and included some soloists, such as Siyabonga Maqungo, Andiswa Makana and Sunnyboy Dladla, in whose overseas careers Richard has played an important part. The cost of performing these works was therefore higher than usual.
The Choir was required to register as a VAT Vendor in 2025; and the Committee decided to absorb the effect of charging 15% VAT on its income rather than trying to recover this as an additional above inflation price increase. This resulted in the Choir paying R124,000 of its net income to VAT this year. Well done to Steve and Debbie for getting this particularly complex process on the way.
The Choir was privileged to perform as the backing choir for two Andrea Bocelli concerts and we were also contracted to perform in a Last Night of the Proms concert during the year, for which the Choir received R109,000 net of VAT and transport costs. The LNOP was a lot of fun and sorely missed since Covid – thanks Richard – we are looking forward to the show planned for later this year.
As a result of the larger works and soloists, the Choir’s 2025 concert programme was performed at a deficit of R343,000 before taking into account the income from Patrons, Sponsors and Friends and other donations received.
The annual financial statements reflect an overall operating deficit for the year of R175,000, after taking into account the administrative expenses which this year included additional entertainment costs relating to the PCCT collaboration, Richard’s farewell dinner and the introduction of monthly choir coffee evenings.
The Choir finished the year with reserves of R1,080,000 (2024: R1,255,000). In order to address this shortfall, the Committee decided that the first three concerts in 2026 would be some of the Choir’s most popular, but less expensive, works, i.e. Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Orff’s Carmina Burana.
In addition we are planning a Best of Broadway concert with feature artist Jonathan Roxmouth. We expect that this concert will be popular, bringing a different audience and bringing variation to our repertoire.
We will maintain our raison d’etre, which is to be the premier Oratorio choir in South Africa. This, interspersed with lighter concerts, as the SCJ with featured artists, rather than feature artists with choir. Where opportunities present themselves to do fun things, we will.
The choir also suffered bereavements – Anthony Deall, Jenny Campbell Pitt and Zerilda Nel. May they continue to sing in our hearts.
Members do go through tough times and we are blessed to deal with that in the context of the fellowship of the choir.
Do not hesitate to reach out to your choir buddies and committee.
Thanks go to Richard Cock and Jenny Gill for their ongoing contribution in raising corporate sponsorships. My thanks also go to the regular Patrons, Sponsors and Friends, many of whom are Choir members, who continued their generous giving in 2025 which is essential to the Choir’s sustainability. We will continue to ask choir members to also consider joining the PSFs and indeed do your part in encouraging friends to become PSFs or Donors or advertisers.
Thanks are also due to all those who gave of their time and skill to ensure that Choir activities continued to run as smoothly as possible. In particular, I would like to mention Debbie Kruger for Choir administration; and all the members of the Choir Committee, for their advice and efforts. And thanks to Barbara who will be stepping down and who has really led in supporting people and remembering our birthdays, and arranging the Choir Picnic! Thanks also to Debbie and Stephanie ….for the very special farewell dinner at Pridwin. Not forgetting Catherine’s trip down memory lane at the event.
Special thanks must go to our fabulous Music Director, whose expertise, energy, humour and entrepreneurial skill so ably facilitated the sustainability of the Choir. The process of finding a new choir director is finally reaching its conclusion and we will be able to announce the outcome in time for Carmina Burana. Richard has indicated that he will remain at the helm until the outcome and has also assured us that he will remain in support during the transition while leaving the new Director, choir and committee to get on with it.
The committee has no doubt that the choir will survive and thrive.
We would like to ask a few choir members to put up their hands to support portfolios like marketing and media. Last year we had some inputs on sustainability, both prospective directors have shown that they have creative ideas in this regard. It will, however, be incumbent on the committee and choir members to work on these areas to make sure that the choir goes on and on and on.
Thanks to each and every member of the choir for your dedication and commitment to the choir.
GERRIT MEERKOTTER: Chairman