Call to join world class choir!
22 June 2023
Auditions are open for children in Grades 4 to 7 to join the award-winning Tygerberg Children’s Choir.
In April, the Tygerberg Children’s Choir won two awards at the Hull International Choir Competition in Britain. They claimed first place in the Children’s Choir section of the and achieved second place in the Sacred section, competing against and outperforming adult choirs.
A total of 27 choirs from ten countries took part in the event. The Tygerberg Children’s Choir was the only choir from Africa that participated.
The Tygerberg Children’s Choir is currently fourth overall out of 1 000 choirs worldwide on Interkultur’s ranking of choirs.
The choir director, Karina Erasmus, is a Music and Performing Arts teacher at Goodwood Park Primary School and the choir’s accompanist, Madri Gerber is the Head of Music at La Rochelle Girls’ High school.
The 67-member choir range from 10 to 15 years in age. The choir members are from various primary and high schools in the province including areas such as the Southern and Northern Suburbs, Mitchell’s Plain, Paarl, Wellington, and even as far as Hermanus.
Erasmus said there are no competitions in South Africa for regional choirs like the Tygerberg Children's Choir and therefore they can only compete Internationally, which is expensive because of travel expenses.
“The last time we were able to compete overseas was in 2014 in Riga at the World Choir Games. Next year there will be a Choir World Cup competition in Barcelona as well as a World Choir Games in New Zealand. We will need financial help to participate internationally again because the parents have to finance the travel and accommodation costs.
The Tygerberg Children’s Choir is loved internationally for their special sound and high standard of singing. In Barnsley, the town's mayor invited them to High Tea and the choir sang in their council chamber. “In Hull, choir members were presented with the mayor’s special award, a prestige pin. We were also allowed to do a 15-minute performance in York Minster, a dream come true for every choir to sing in the beautiful cathedral, but it is rarely allowed for choirs to sing there.”
The choir has been described as true ambassadors of South Africa. A lot of people mentioned that they would now like to visit Cape Town to see the place that the choir with the special sound comes from.
Call Andrea at 0829251814 or email choirauditions.tcc@gmail.com to book your audition.
You can view a video about the choir here.
