Meet The Chanticleer Singers
Richard Cock – conductor
Conductor Richard Cock was born in Port Elizabeth and educated at Woodridge Preparatory School and the Diocesan College, Cape Town. He pursued his musical studies at the Cape Town College of Music, where he graduated in 1971. In 1972, he won a scholarship to the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM), where he was awarded several prizes and diplomas. In 1978 he became Director of Music at the Cathedral Choir School and assistant organist at Chichester Cathedral. During his years in England he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. After his return to South Africa in 1980, Richard breathed new life into the National Symphony Orchestra as Music Director from 1991. However, it is as a choral trainer and conductor that he is best known. He was organist and director of music at St Mary’s Cathedral for 12 years and was elected a Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music for his services to church music in South Africa. He founded the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg and the internationally recognized Chanticleer Singers 34 years ago. In 1999, Richard left the orchestra to pursue a freelance career and to stimulate music activities throughout South Africa. As a conductor, he is in much demand countrywide. In May 2000, he received an Honorary Doctorate in music from Rhodes University. In 2012 he received a Parnasus Award from Stellenbosch University and in 2013 a special award from the ATKV for his 30 years’ dedication to spreading the love of music in South Africa. In November 2014 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arts & Culture Trust. He is chairman of the Apollo Music Trust. He also serves as a Board member of Business Arts South Africa, the Ingoma Trust and the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, and he is on the Music Committee of the Grahamstown National Arts Festival.
Sopranos
Genevieve de Carcenac
Genevieve’s love of choral singing started at an early age. During high school, she was a member of the Northern Natal Youth Choir, and at varsity she sang for the RAU Choir and the National Youth Choir. She has also sung as a member of Collegium Vocale and the Excelda Chamber Choir. Genevieve had the privilege of joining the Chanticleer Singers in January 2011, during which time some of her favourite and most memorable performances have been of the Brahms Requiem, Rachmaninov Vespers and Britten’s War Requiem. She is married to Daniel and they have 2 sons. She is a management consultant by profession.
Louise Frahm-Arp
I started singing in one of Richard’s choirs at the age of 14 but only joined the Chanticleer Singers in 1996. I am a trained musician with viola as my main instrument (which is regularly commented on in rehearsals). Having spent many years teaching music and 9 years in the music retail industry, I ran a landscaping business for a few years but am now back teaching individual violin and flute lessons. I am married to Ludwig, an attorney and we have one daughter, Emma. My favourite composer is Prokofiev and my favourite hobby is far more exciting – horse riding!
Christine Geldenhuis
Christine joined the Chanticleer Singers in 2004. She is a recorder player and specialist in Early Music and historically informed performance practice. Very HIPP. Christine enjoys cooking for friends; exploring flavours and recipes from her excessive collection of cookbooks. Her cat is named after her favourite spice.
Marianne le Roux
The choir’s flower girl, works as a botanical researcher during the day but at night her secret life involves music. She joined the Chanticleer Singers in 2012 after completing her studies at the University of Johannesburg. Apart from spending time at work (and choir), she also enjoys playing the piano, saxophone and flute, listening to live jazz, hiking, travelling and socialising with family and friends.
Este Meerkotter
I am a postgraduate student of English Literature at Wits University by day, and a chorister by night. I have been studying classical vocals privately since 2012, which is also the year when I joined the Chanticleer Singers. I also sing for Beit Emanuel Progressive Shul, St George’s Anglican church, and Vocalize, my a cappella quintet. I love Jesus and am involved in campus ministry. I hope to study a PGCE in 2016 – beyond that I have no five year plan, though I can’t wait to see what becomes of me! I live with my two loving and supportive parents and sister. My favourite places include Parkhurst Community church, the Jolly Roger and Die Padloper Coffee Shop in Riviersonderend, in the Western Cape.
Carol Shutte
Caz joined the Chanticleer singers in 2012 and is the crazy red-head in the choir who sings Soprano 2. She is currently the HoD for the Junior School music department at St Mary’s school in Waverley. She’s always loved music and began piano lessons at the age of 5 and has been involved in choral singing right from the start of Primary school choir. She did music for Matric at Kingsmead College and went on to study her MMus at Rhodes University. She studied Flute and Voice, majoring in Piano performance under the direction of Catherine Foxcroft and Conducting under Professor David Scarr. “I couldn’t imagine my life without music, it is the one constant in amongst the chaos of life. I miss it when we don’t have choir rehearsals on Mondays!”
Nicole Hilburn
I started singing in choirs at the age of 9 and joined the Rand Youth Choir during primary school. I was fortunate enough to attend St Andrews School in Bedfordview when Barbara Toms was the choral director, and sang in the St Andrews Choir through highschool as well as doing voice as my main instrument for matric music. Through university I sung in the UCT choir, and studied voice with Sally Presant and on my return to JHB, joined Collegium Vocale and a number of other small chamber choirs before joining the Chanticleer Singers where places for sopranos are like hen’s teeth! By day I am a paediatric physiotherapist, and run my own practice in Parkview. I am married with two daughters – Emma and Olivia.
Altos
Diana Cowen
My inspiration to sing started at the age of 6 when I fell in love with Joan Baez, her voice and songs. This then branched out into a passion for choral music of any sort, but particularly the Renaissance period. I spent my teenage afternoons in the glorious candlelit chapels of Oxford listening to college evensongs and regularly falling in love with the singers. I joined my school choir and subsequently my university choirs, and choirs in whichever country I lived, Russia, Italy, Greece and now South Africa with the Chanticleer Singers. I am eternally grateful for the ability and opportunity to sing and to teach music to children (my daytime job).
Susan Harrop-Allin
Dr. Susan Harrop-Allin is a lecturer, teacher-educator and pianist who has worked in music development and teaching in South Africa for twenty five years. She started playing the piano at the age of four, performing a Mozart Piano Concerto when she was 10 years old, and performing in chamber ensembles and orchestras as a cellist and pianist at school and university. Susan holds a Performer’s Licentiate (ABRSM) and PhD in music education and ethnomusicology at Wits University, where she now lectures in the Schools of Arts and Education. Susan trains Arts and Culture teachers for arts NGOs and performs as an accompanist and chamber musician, particularly with Il Trio Rosso and as a member of The Chanticleer Singers. She was one of three arts and culture finalists for the Shoprite/Checkers Woman of the Year in 2004, in recognition of her community music development work. Susan publishes and researches in the area of community music, ethnomusicology and music education and has published several book chapters and journal articles in international and local publications. She is also on the editorial board of the International Journal of Community Music and a director of the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company and Rena Le Lona Creative Arts centre for children in Soweto.
As a Chanticleer member for fifteen years, singing in this wonderful choir is an important part of my musical life. I’m privileged to make music together with such accomplished singers, under the direction of maestro Richard Cock.
Karien Labuschagne
Karien was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa and is currently the Director of Music at Pridwin Preparatory School. She started piano lessons at 5 years old with Claudine van Breda. Throughout her schooling career she participated in numerous local and national eisteddfodau and competitions. At 14 she participated in “Virtuosi per Musica di Pianoforte”, an international piano competition in the Czech Republic and at 17 she went to Lithuania to participate in the “International Balys Dvarionas Compeition for Pianists and Violinists”. She also took up playing oboe in high school. During her studies at the University of Pretoria, Karien played oboe for the UP Symphony Orchestra and had the opportunity to perform with most of the professional orchestras in South Africa.
It is only after completing her BMus degree, specialising in piano performance under Prof. Joseph Stanford, that she discovered the joy of choral music. She joined the now disbanded Musica Mundo adult chamber choir in 2008, after which she joined the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg in 2012. She has been a member of the Chanticleer Singers under the direction of Richard Cock since 2014.
Karien is a passionate musician with a love for learning new instruments. In 2011 she picked up saxophone as an instrument, while substituting for a colleague on maternity leave. She has since passed Grade 8 saxophone on both alto and soprano saxophone (both with distinction) and plays in a saxophone quartet, “Saxy Ladies” on a regular basis. She also performs as part of the Pridwin Music Staff Band at their annual Jazz festival.
Marga Sander
Marga Sander obtained her BMus (Hons) from the PU for CHE under the supervision of Bernarda Swart. She received training as accompanist from Anna Bender and singing training from Sarie Lamprecht. Marga was the music director of the UJ Arts Academy (2006-2012). Highlights include Rocco de Villiers’s Jozi Ma Sweety and Black Street Jazz staring Abigail Khubeka. She made her conducting debut with Ian von Memerty’s Jump for Joy and had the honor of conducting members of the Joburg Festival Orchestra for their production of West Side Story.
Theatre highlights include: Phantom of the Opera (for Pieter Toerien), assistant music director for Dirty Dancing (Pieter Toerien), assistant music director for Aladdin. (Joburg Theatre), Sound of Music Kids Music Director (Pieter Toerien), assistant music director and assistant conductor for West Side Story (Fugard Theatre). Later this year she will be returning to the Joburg Theatre as Music Director for their annual pantomime, Sleeping Beauty.
Other highlights include: Carmina Burana for 2 pianos and percussion, Mahler 5th Symphony, written for 4hands on1piano, and singing the Rachmaninov Verspers and Bach’s St John’s Passion under the direction of Richard Cock.
Adri Woudstra
Dreaming of a career in music as a young girl, I eventually decided that the Diplomatic Service was an easier way to see the world. Hence, a ten year career doing that followed my studies in International Politics. If life is a series of sweeping changes, that may explain why I then ended up raising three boys with my husband in Pretoria and counting our home-based business’ beans. Had I listened to my dad’s advice, I would have actually been qualified for my current job as bookkeeper, and not pulling my hair out every year-end. Not that I mind my life (even taking into consideration that I’m the only female at home apart from a very small dog). Singing, however, remained the constant thread throughout the many turns my life took. With the nudging of a long-time friend and now former Chanticleer member, and the indulgence of the Maestro, I’ve been part of the choir since 2009. My husband would tell you with great conviction that it is one of the more important ingredients in the maintenance of sanity in our household.
Tenors
Riaal Domingues
Riaal started singing choir at an early age in school choirs. During high school, he sang in the Eastern Transvaal Your Choir, and at university the University of Pretoria choir. After university he took singing lessons to improve his ability as a choir member. He sang in various adult choirs like Sinchronies, Collegium Vocale, Excelda Chamber Choir and Cantumus Corde. He joined Chanticleer Singers in 2019. Although the type of choirs has changed post undergraduate days, he is still a student and works full time in Information Security. Singing in Chanticleer is what helps him cope with work and studies. As a very busy fellow choir member once said, the true question is not how we make time for choir in a busy schedule, it is how will we cope with a busy schedule if we can’t sing in a choir?
Mzukisi Kota
My choral music journey began at the age of 4 when I was mercilessly used to contribute the cuteness factor at a concert put on by the church choir which was ran by my family! Since then, I sang in school and church choirs throughout my school years and in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Choir in my varsity years. After singing in many choirs in SA and abroad in the post-varsity years, and working with incredibly gifted musicians, I finally found my way to the Chanticleer Singers around April 2016.
I am a lawyer by day, specialising in large-scale infrastructure projects and a sometimes-musician most nights. I remain convinced that my primary purpose in all the choirs in which I have sung, including this one, is still to bring the cuteness factor! 😉
George Potgieter
George completed his BMus and MMus studies at the University of Pretoria in 2005 and 2007. During his studies he studied Choral Conducting with Johann van der Sandt, Voice with Antoinette Oliver as well as Classical Guitar with Abri Jordaan. He was also a member of the University of Pretoria Camerata. In Finland he studied Music education as well as Choral Conducting with Rita Varonen and Voice with Swedish lecturer, Inge Lindroth. George is a Music educator based in Johannesburg and regularly attends national and international music education events.
George has a sincere passion for music education and developing the love of music and music education in South Africa. He is a committee member of the Orff Schulwerk Society of South Africa. He has been a member of the Chanticleer Singers since September 2018.
Basses
Daniel de Carcenac
Daniel joined the Chanticleer Singers in early 2017, as a roadie for the choir’s tour of Germany that year, somehow finding his way into the depths of the bass section and staying there ever since. An inveterate choral nerd, he’s sung in various choirs over more years than he generally likes to admit, meeting Genevieve, now at the other end of the Chanticleer chorus line, in one of them. They since married and have two sons. By day Daniel works as a risk quant in a bank, manipulating numbers rather than notes.
Wion Flett
Wion (aka “Hoofseun”) joined Chanticleer in September 2006 as a baritone. Favourite works include Rachmaninov’s Verspers, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem and Bach’s St John’s Passion… so basically, the bigger the better!
When not singing, Wion is a fund manager specialising in listed African investments, an avid Scuba diver, loving father and managed to marry high above his league. The versatile nature of the choir’s repertoire, ability to master some really tricky music and the ‘lekker gees’ is what keeps him crossing the Jukskei every Monday evening with a smile. He does not like it when you mention the “Whiskey Flask” incident.
Bodo Meyer
Bodo (and his wife Irma) joined Chanticleer in 2016 after having been able to tick off a bucket list item: singing the St John’s passion (by participating in the project choir for that magnificent piece). He is an accountant by trade, but lives by the motto: “everything is relative” (Go Einstein!). He is also often invited (by Richard) to “come closer”… Apparently the back row of the choir is NOT the place to relax!
Hendre van Zyl
I am a Company Secretary at a large banking group in Johannesburg. I am not a typist (although I CAN type!) – Company Secretaries arrange the meetings of the board of directors, take minutes and prepare the meeting documentation, amongst many other things. We are the guardians of corporate governance of a company. I have been a member of Chanticleer since 1999, so that makes it 20 years in 2019! I am married to Louise and we have two children, Heinrich and Anina, and two Golden Retrievers, Sebastian and Jessica. My favourite composer is, without a doubt, Johann Sebastian Bach…and piece of music, his St John’s Passion. My hobbies include swimming (is that a hobby?), gardening, art and antique collecting, travelling and some solo baritoning on the side.
Zayne Upton
Zayne joined the Chanticleer Singers in early 2015 when he returned to Joziburg from Cape Town while fleeing the hipster revolution. Like his Drakensberg Boys Choir schoolmate Nicholas Nicolaidis, Zayne was also introduced to the choir back in 1989 and has harboured a secret desire to be a part of this great musical bunch ever since. When Zayne isn’t singing, you’ll usually find him on one or other quest to understand more about life, the universe and everything.