Six conductors and 60 years: Memories abound for Diane Coutts
By Marlene Ross
The Johannesburg Bach Choir has been associated with some of South Africa’s most talented musicians during the past 60 years. Diane Coutts, who has performed with the Johannesburg Bach Choir as organist, pianist and harpsichordist, twice received the SABC Artes award for best piano recordings and has also received lifetime achievement awards from the South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) and the South African Society of Music Teachers (SASMT). Diane’s association with the Johannesburg Bach Choir goes back to the 1990s. She still accompanies the choir for rehearsals on an ad hoc basis.
Diane Coutts: Pianist, organist and harpsichordist extraordinaire
Born in Durban, Diane studied piano, organ and flute. Her organ tutor was Errol Slater, who was the organist at St Paul’s Church in central Durban. At one of her piano performances in Durban she was noticed by Ivey Dickson, a professor at the London Royal Academy of Music and the director of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. She invited Diane to study in London from 1965 to 1966.
On returning to South Africa, she was appointed as the SABC accompanist for Natal in 1970. In 1979 she was transferred to Johannesburg as the official SABC accompanist and as member of the National Symphony Orchestra of the SABC. Diane prefers accompaniment to solo work, because it provides her with the opportunity to share her love of music with other musicians. She explains that in duo work in particular, one is able to share ideas on interpretation with fellow musicians. She has accompanied many contestants at the Unisa International Strings Competitions as well as the Unisa International Voice Competitions, including the winner of the Unisa International Strings Competition in 2010.
Referring to her many piano recordings, Diane explains that she prefers “leaving a recording as a legacy as opposed to playing in live concerts, which is just a fleeting moment in time”. As an introvert, she feels it also better suits her personality.
Apart from her work at the SABC, she also examined for Unisa and was juror for many music competitions. Diane has many qualifications in teaching, accompaniment and performance for organ, piano and flute. Her students excel in their examinations, many of them winning Unisa awards. She is still teaching and has adapted to the post-Covid online teaching and examination methods with aplomb.
In 2019, after serving the Catholic Church as organist for 60 years, she received an award from Pope Francis. Diane is still the organist at St Bonifatius German Speaking Catholic Church in Randburg.
Diane has performed with the Johannesburg Bach Choir as organist, pianist and harpsichordist with six resident conductors – Bruno Peyer, Douglas Reid, Roland Solomon, Colin Yorke, Dario Broccardo and Tim Roberts. Highlights of her performances with the Choir include playing the harpsichord solo part in the Bach Brandenburg Concerto No 5 on a locally built harpsichord for its inaugural performance, as well as the challenge of playing the Mozart Requiem on the organ, in place of a full orchestra.
Diane remains an inspiration to her students and fellow musicians and the Johannesburg Bach Choir is very proud that she is part of the choir’s journey.
Love of the colourful tapestry that life has to offer has led to rewarding experiences such as those of the Membership Secretary of the Johannesburg Bach Choir. From her newfound love for bowls which she began playing after retiring in 2017, to her abiding love for the world-renowned diamond corporate, De Beers, Sue has had an interesting life.
Sue’s love of music – and singing – probably began as a girl. To make the after-dinner dishwashing more fun, Sue and her three sisters sang songs from the FAK (Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge) album that they had found in their home. They also sang the odd German folk song. While Sue also sang in her primary school choir, by her teens she was only interested in boys. She’d found new loves. Singing was all but forgotten.
Sue van Zyl with a modern version of the FAK (Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge) book from which she and her sisters sang as youngsters.(Photo by Theo Coggin)
Joining De Beers in 1991 as an executive secretary, Sue made full use of the company’s internal learning and development programme, eventually gaining a degree in human resources management which she put to use managing the company’s bursary scheme. Sue also found training and development, especially of young people, rewarding. Despite the pressure of her roles, Sue’s love for people and learning filled her 25-year career at De Beers with purpose and delight. Her many mentorship, guidance and training activities, usually involving thorough checking of work and performance, earned her the nickname “The Principal”. Her approval was required by all and was never easy to get.
Mostly, though, Sue loved working for what she came to know as an ethical company. De Beers sought, at every turn, to do the right thing. Whether among its employees, the communities it touched, the environment or the country, Sue felt it a privilege to be part of such an effective force for good.
About 10 years ago, leafing through the advertisement section of her local newspaper, Sue spotted an ad asking, Have you ever wanted to sing in a choir? Intrigued, she responded and joined what turned out to be an American gospel music group! She loved it. Here she also heard about Capital Singers, eventually participating in seven different massed concerts in Pretoria. While these choirs re-kindled her love of singing, the logistics of the trips to Pretoria motivated her to look for a choir closer to home. Quite by chance Sue’s sister heard an interview with Tim Roberts, chatting on Classic FM with his characteristic English accent. She “heard” him talking about the “Johannesburg BUCK Choir”. It intrigued her.
She quickly discovered that Tim has an engaging British demeanour, and that BUCK in this context was actually JS Bach and had nothing to do with antelopes. As soon as she could, Sue joined even though had no experience of singing classical music. She loved it from the start. Bowled over by the camaraderie, the professionalism of Tim Roberts and Ruth Coggin’s brilliant teaching, Sue has even learned how to read music!
Classical music — and singing in a choir with various sections doing different things — also demands a level of mental alertness, concentration and discipline that she really enjoys. Sue has also grown to truly appreciate classical music and honestly looks forward to the fun, learning and beauty of Monday night practices. She means it when she says, “thank you for the music, for giving it to me!”
▪ Stuart Meyer sings bass in The Johannesburg Bach Choir
▪ Apart from being membership secretary of the choir, Sue van Zyl sings in the soprano line
▪ Theo Coggin is the editor of The Bach Blog. Please “like” and “subscribe” to our Blog. Send suggestions for contributions, attention Theo, to johannesburgbachchoir@gmail.com
Marriage it shall be: the many faces of Bach choir rehearsals
By Lucia Poorter*
Reiner Fossati, who was a member of the choir from 1983 until around 2019, and chairman for seven years, grew up in a musically-minded family in Cape Town, listening to classical greats such as Beethoven and Brahms.
“I also liked Mozart but always considered Beethoven two or three notches above him,” he says.
Reiner (above), who holds a doctorate in operations research and teaches additional maths for grades 10, 11 and 12 at the Johannesburg German International School, says he taught himself to read music at the age of seven or eight. “I was fascinated by anything that could be written down.”
He sang in the choir at the German School in Cape Town from the age of 10, and later, after moving to Johannesburg, was persuaded by a friend who was with him in the army to join the Randburg Male Voice Choir in 1979. In 1983, he responded to an advert in The Star for the Johannesburg Bach Choir.
Reiner remembers the choir having well over 100 members and singing two of his favourite works, Mahler’s Symphony No 2 and the Brahms Requiem, which he says “are both highly romantic.” The Mahler symphony also has “an incredible range for the basses. There is something sublime and kind of spiritual when the whole thing comes together.”
Other favourite compositions of his include Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Bach’s St Matthew Passion, and the big Mozart pieces.
Ken Fuller, who was chairman of the choir for more than 20 years, worked opposite the Johannesburg City Hall where the choir often performed, and was therefore usually able to pop across to check that everything was in order before concerts. However, in 1994, after his retirement, and what was to be the last time the choir ever performed in the City Hall, there was a mishap.
“There were supposed to be something like 29 rows of 36 chairs, but there were only 22 rows of 36 chairs,” says Reiner. “This meant that just before the concert was to start, members of the choir were sent down to the basement to fetch extra chairs.”
Another anecdote Reiner remembers is that there used to be a prize for the choir member who sold the most tickets before a concert. There was also a curmudgeonly person in the Choir, let’s call him Robert. Robert sold a huge number of tickets but occasionally someone else would share the prize. Ken would announce that the first prize was a week at Sun City with Robert, second prize was two weeks with Robert, and so on. Robert never saw the humour in this.
Reiner also recalls the choir being hired for a marriage proposal at St Columba’s.
“Someone had to stand guard to watch out for the groom. In the meantime, the wax from the tealight candles, which were laid out in the shape of a heart, leaked all over the floor.”
The bride accepted the proposal. But the choir was left with the challenge of how to remove the wax. (See accompanying photograph.)
The Bach Blog was launched on Sunday 28 July 2024 in honour of the death of the great JS Bach, after whom the Johannesburg Bach Choir is named. It also celebrates the 60th anniversary of the JBC – its diamond jubilee – with the logo specially designed for the occasion by bass section leader Alastair Findlay. The Bach Blog features stories about members of our choir, or those associated with it over the years, written by other members of the choir and edited by Theo Coggin, a member of the bass section of the choir.
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Multi-talented and an inspiring teacher, Ruth gives 100%
Stuart Meyer continues his account of the musical journey of Ruth Coggin, the new music director of the Johannesburg Bach Choir.
Bach, singing and the pipe organ: a love story on its own
In the first of his articles on Ruth Coggin, the new music director of the Johannesburg Bach Choir, Stuart Meyer traces her musical journey from her teenage years of learning to master the grandeur of a pipe organ to participating in some of the seminal historic events in South Africa
Having grown up in a musical family and as a member of the Salvation Army, tenor Monde Ngwane believes “the stars aligned for me” in her musical journey. Singing was central to her family and supplied the impetus for her to enroll at the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music graded Durban Music School. She studied music theory and the cello and played in the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra. She also sang with the Durban Symphonic Choir.
Faith is born through Bach and the sounds of the silence of nature
The end of a calendar year is often a time to say fond farewells to those members who are moving on. While it’s often a sad time, it’s also an occasion to remember them with gratitude for the contributions they have made in both song and friendship. One such person is Uschi Wellmann who has retired from her work at St Andrew’s School for Girls to take up a new position as matron at Paulpietersburg Christian Retirement Village in northern KZN. Before she left, The Bach Blog spoke to this much-loved soprano about how her faith and love of music all began.
Ecclesiastical, environmental, euphonious – gifts of a full life
Bishop Peter Lee and his wife, Revd Gill Lee, met in their 20s while they were both living in England. Gill is from central London and Peter comes from the deep countryside of Norfolk, known for its “open, flat, beautiful” land.
Mandy Collins, a member of our alto section, composed this poem for Tim Roberts’ farewell. We thank Mandy for giving us permission to publish this poem. Please note it is Copyright to Mandy – Theo Coggin, Editor of The Bach Blog.
Farewell to Tim Roberts
Monday 25 November 2024’s practice saw a heartfelt time of saying “thank you” to our music director, Tim Roberts, for his 15 years’ service to the Johannesburg Bach Choir. Accompanied by Ruth Coggin on the piano, each of the voice parts sang a song of their choice to him, the alto group finishing with Auld Lang Syne accompanied by Mandy Collins on a steel drum. A special gift to Tim was a framed cartoon of him, featuring his interests and hobbies. The hand-drawn cartoon was made by bass leader Alastair Findlay, with the inspiration and creative input for it by blog editor, Theo Coggin. Here is Tim with his harpsichord “racing car”, oboe, choir and singing elephant.
Photo by Ushi Wellmann
Members of the Johannesburg Bach Choir (JBC) come from all walks of life. That much is probably obvious. Not so obvious, however, are the fascinating array of interests (plus skills, experience, hobbies and sporting exploits) that many of our members enjoy. Marguerite Langton, a retired diagnostic radiologist who has been a member of the choir for many years, is one such person.
From “permission-of-husband-required” to JBC chair
It was the sublime, evocative voice of the late, great Kathleen Ferrier that struck awe into the young Kathy Whiteley, a former chairperson of the Johannesburg Bach. All she wanted was to sing like her. This is how Kathy’s love of singing started.
Six conductors and 60 years: Memories abound for Diane Coutts
The Johannesburg Bach Choir has been associated with some of South Africa’s most talented musicians during the past 60 years. Diane Coutts, who has performed with the Johannesburg Bach Choir as organist, pianist and harpsichordist, still accompanies the choir for rehearsals on an ad hoc basis.
The Johannesburg Bach Choir is delighted to receive a letter of congratulations on its 60th anniversary celebrations from the Leipzig Bachfest and the Bach Archive Leipzig. The Leipzig Bachfest is the world’s most significant Bach festival, attracting choirs from throughout the globe. We are honoured to be congratulated in this way.
Love of the colourful tapestry that life has to offer has led to rewarding experiences such as those of the Membership Secretary of the Johannesburg Bach Choir. From her newfound love for bowls which she began playing after retiring in 2017, to her abiding love for the world-renowned diamond corporate, DeBeers, Sue has had an interesting life.
On entering Sue Webster’s sunny abode one is immediately struck by her collection of beautiful artefacts. A Sydney Carter oil, a Pierneef water colour, and works by her uncle, David Anthony Jones (reminiscent of the works of John Piper and Paul Nash) adorn the walls. Along the windowsills there’s an assortment of decoy ducks and wooden bird sculptures.
Reiner Fossati, who was a member of the choir from 1983 until around 2019, and chairman for seven years, grew up in a musically-minded family in Cape Town, listening to classical greats such as Beethoven and Brahms.
Some people one never forgets, often for a variety of reasons. Jane Abrahams, a former Secretary, committee member and, not least, an invaluable member of the sopranos of the Johannesburg Bach Choir for many years, is just such a person.
J. S. Bach’s longest tenure (1723-1750) was as Cantor and Director of Music of the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. Although he was not the organist in Leipzig, his later organ works were written while he was there. There are records of an organ having been there from around 1500 until Bach’s time, and two that were there in the early eighteenth century are known about. Both instruments received what we would call today “heavy maintenance” during Bach’s lifetime, although there appears to have been no extensive rebuilding as was done at Arnstadt. Neither of the instruments survives today. The photo in this post is of the present organ in the church. (Information from http://www.organhistoricalsociety.org. Photo from Facebook post of Stephen Lewis Furches https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008093808278&__tn__=-UC*F)
The Johannesburg Bach Choir will celebrate its diamond (60th) jubilee at a gala concert in November this year. Arrangements for the concert at St John’s College Chapel in Houghton on Sunday 17 November at 4.00pm (16h00) are already well in hand. They include plans to perform JS Bach’s acclaimed Cantata No 140 (“Wauchet auf, ruft uns die Stimme”) with Ilze van Staden as the soprano soloist, among other works.
Ballet, the bundu and the Bach Choir may not readily find an association in the minds of most people, but for alto Andrea Wilhelm, they fit together very neatly. Andrea, a member of the Johannesburg Bach Choir since 2022, is passionate about ballet, the bush and singing. An interview with her unpacked the meaning behind her unusual email address of bunduballerina@…
Painting, birding and beetle collection may be among their interests – but it’s singing together with other people that “lifts the soul”, says soprano Jemima Cantrell. She and husband Tony, a member of the bass section, are long-standing and faithful members of the Johannesburg Bach Choir, having joined in 2005.
The ongoing continuum of musical expression is central to the entire personal and professional demeanor of Tim Roberts, the affable musical director of the Bach choir.
The Mamas and the Papas of the 1960s would have little in common – one would think – with JS Bach, the doyen of Baroque composers, let alone with the Johannesburg choir that is named in honour of one of the most revered composers of all time. But listening to the animated manner in which the current chairperson of the Johannesburg Bach Choir (JBC) speaks of how much she looks forward to every Monday, the 1960s hit, “Monday, Monday”, by the Mamas and the Papas immediately came to mind.
The Johannesburg Bach Choir will celebrate its diamond (60th) jubilee at a gala concert in November this year.
Arrangements for the concert at St John’s College Chapel in Houghton on Sunday 17 November at 4.00pm (16h00) are already well in hand. They include plans to perform JS Bach’s acclaimed Cantata No 140 (“Wauchet auf, ruft uns die Stimme”) with Ilze van Staden as the soprano soloist, among other works.
The first concert of the Johannesburg Bach Choir was held on 1 September 1964 at St Catherine’s Anglican Church, Bramley, under the baton of its first director, the late Tony Fell.
Sixty years later, the choir’s diamond jubilee concert will take place under the direction of its present music director, Tim Roberts who has led the choir for more than a decade.
Since the choir’s inception in 1964, works by numerous composers – not only by JS Bach – have entranced audiences in a wide range of venues from the Johannesburg City Hall to more intimate settings.
A new logo to celebrate the occasion has been designed by Alastair Findlay, a member of the choir (see image).
Tim Roberts is a sought-after orchestral conductor and for his direction of exclusive music soirees in South Africa’s game reserves.
Trained at the Royal Academy of Music, London, Roberts says: “For me, making music is a passion but, more importantly, I want to let other people experience the same wonder I feel when I hear great music.”
Leona Malan, Chairperson of the choir, says: “The JBC welcomes everyone. The commitment of our music leadership to encourage the participation of all who love the chorale genre is fitting testament to this and we have been pleased to welcome members from a wide spectrum of our community in our diamond jubilee year,” she adds.
For the gala concert, the choir will be accompanied members of the Apple Green Orchestra and choir accompanist and assistant choir director, Ruth Coggin on the organ.
Tickets for the gala concert will soon be available on Quicket.
So how did bunduballerina@….** come about? The owner of this unique address is Johannesburg Bach Choir member, Andrea Wilhelm who uses it to identify her YouTube channel, The BunduBallerina by combining her two passions: ballet and the bush.
Andrea’s is no ordinary YouTube channel, with nearly 70 000 subscribers and 40 million views since she started it in 2009. That’s a big following and viewership in anyone’s book.
Subscribers come from all over the world, including Japan, the USA, Russia and Europe. What pulls them together in this huge virtual community are Andrea’s highly appreciated ballet postings that she draws from around the globe. For example, ballerina Natalia Osipova’s Amazing versatile fouettés was posted on the day of the interview. Among the many comments it received was “Thank you BunduBallerina… Thank you for posting such beautiful dancing.”
With such a passion for ballet, it’s not surprising that Andrea also has a love of singing. She joined the Johannesburg Bach Choir in 2022 following the Covid epidemic after her mother saw an advert on Facebook for the choir. Andrea comes from a musical family. Her late grandfather, Joseph Horitzaüer, was well known as a classical and Spanish guitarist. She has always loved singing and in her teens took part in amateur musical performances with a Parkhurst-based group, The Garage Players. This had her singing arias and Gilbert and Sullivan choruses with gusto.
Andrea danced from her youngest days until she was 27, when insufficient turnout (a ballet term indicating rotation of the leg at the hips) brought an end to the physical aspects of ballet. Apart from classical ballet, she also danced Spanish and classical Indian. Her skills were shown through successfully passing through the ranks of ballet exams up to Advanced 2, described as being for dancers with high levels of skills and professional dancers.
Growing up in the Western Cape until the age of 10, Andrea’s love of the bush or bundu undoubtedly came from living on a farm in the mountains surrounding Worcester. She vividly recalls leopards, baboons and snakes of the farm. A memory that stands out is narrowly escaping the company of a leopard as the family made their way down the mountain, with Andrea on the back of an open bakkie!
Professionally, Andrea is a qualified IELTS tutor and makes a living from teaching English skills to students for various purposes, such as obtaining visas to study overseas.
Not content with what she has already achieved in life, Andrea also aims to learn to play the lute. So, watch this space: Future performances of the Johannesburg Bach Choir may well be accompanied by a lutist!
*Ruth Coggin is Assistant Choir Director and accompanist of the Johannesburg Bach Choir and holds an honours degree in pipe organ and clarinet from Wits.
**Andrea’s full email is not included to protect her privacy.
The Johannesburg Bach Choir 