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.
It was not just Jane’s sterling work in the background, or enjoyment of sharing her gift of singing which remains in my memory, however.
Jane Abrahams before in concert, before she retired from the JBC.
When interviewing her recently at her home in Rivonia as part of our celebration of the Johannesburg Bach Choir’s Diamond Jubilee, I remembered that when in the choir, Jane’s eloquence in the use of English came through often as she would draw my attention to an elegant phrase in what we were singing.
I asked her why words were so important to her, little realising that she has been surrounded by words all her life; as a novelist (under the pen name of Jane Fox), a poet, a bookseller, an editor, and for some years a librarian at the library of the Rudolf Steiner Society in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
This simply underlined how fortunate we are as a choir to have members who come from all walks of life. Writers, poets, artists, doctors, builders, lawyers, academics… the list knows no end, and musicians and singers fit in there somewhere as well!
As Jane says when she recalls what drew her for the Johannesburg Bach Choir: “All my family sang in church choirs and choral societies in Essex in the UK when I was a teenager, and it seemed natural to sing in a choir later in life in Johannesburg.”
Jane said one of her favourite pieces is the Faure Requiem, which she regards as a wonderful marriage of words to music.
She speaks with great happiness and delight that her son, Matthew, has also been a member of the Choir, and a grandchild is showing promising signs of carrying on the tradition in the family of making music.
As she approaches her ninth decade, Jane’s love for music is undimmed, and her support of the choir continues.
It is heartwarming to chat to members, not least to past members like Jane, who are part of a continuous group of people from many differing backgrounds who share a common joy in making music together, surely one of humankind’s greatest achievements.
Tim Roberts is the Director of the Johannesburg Bach Choir, Founder of the Apple Green Orchestra and annually presents the St Francis Baroque Festival.
Why do we still enjoy JS Bach’s music so many years after it was composed? Listen to Tim Roberts’s idea about this – and hear a short section of a Bach Cantata sung by the Johannesburg Bach Choir:
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 