HISTORY

Established in 1972 by Etienne Smit, then headmaster of the D.F. Malan High School in Bellville and chairman of the Tygerberg Eisteddfod, the Tygerberg Children's Choir has become a powerful voice for South Africa's rich musical heritage on the global stage.

Their journey began with captivating audiences across the nation on annual tours, a tradition that continues to this day. Since 1980, they've embarked on numerous international tours, captivating audiences worldwide. This spirit of adventure is matched by their competitive drive, where they've secured an impressive eight victories in nine international competitions, and have achieved a second place in Tolosa (Spain) in 2001 in the children's division, which consisted of six previous competition winners.

The choir's repertoire isn't just about captivating audiences, it's also about nurturing South African music. Renowned composers have penned original works specifically for their talented voices, including: "Lux Eterna" from the "Youth Requiem" (Pieter-Louis van Dyk), "Driesiemandorie" (Pieter de Villiers), "Kô laat ons sing", "Magnificat", "Caritas" and more recently "Sky" (Hans Roosenschoon) and the "Tygerberg Mass" (Johan Cloete).

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THEIR JOURNEY

The Choir was privileged through the years to perform before heads of state and royalty, including Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II, King Gustave of Sweden, President Bill Clinton, and the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. It also performed at the inauguration of President Thabo Mbeki and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.Their journey wasn't solely about competition; below are some milestones that showcase their international impact:

1993: The choir participated in the SA Cultural Week at the International Horticultural Show in Stuttgart, Germany.
1998: They were invited as guest choir at music festivals in Detmold, Germany, and Basle, Switzerland.
2001: Selected for Song Bridge 2001, a prestigious celebration of children's choirs at the World of Children's Choirs in Vancouver. This marked their international recognition.
2002: In September 2002, they were invited to perform at the Lutheran Church's convention of church in Malmö, Sweden, and in December 2002, they presented Christmas concerts with the Danish Radio Girls' Choir in Copenhagen, Denmark.
2004: In July 2004, the choir was invited to participate in the Béla Bartók 21st International Choir Competition in Debrecen, Hungary. They were the winners in the Children's Choir category and shared the first prize with the Vesna Children's Choir from Moscow, Russia. Both choirs received 91.2% in the final round of the competition, thus qualifying to participate in the Grand Prix competition. The Choir also received two special prizes - one for the best interpretation of a Béla Bartók composition and the other prize for being the public's choice as the best choir of the competition. The Choir also received a diploma in the folklore category of the competition.
2006: In July 2006, the choir took place in the prestigious International Music Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales, where they obtained first place in the Folklore division and third place in the Senior Children's Choirs division. Both achievements were against much older choirs.
2007: The choir took part in Die Burger Christmas Concert in Artscape.
2008: The choir received an invitation to perform at the State of the Nation Parliamentary Banquet at the CTICC. Pres. Mbeki, Helen Zille, and many other high-profile politicians attended this illustrious affair.

WORLD CHOIR GAMES ACHIEVEMENTS

Since 2008, these highly talented children participated in the world's flagship choral competition, the World Choir Games. The World Choir Games is widely regarded as the 'Olympic Games" for choirs, and only the very best choirs from all over the world are invited to participate.

2008: they obtained Second Place and a Gold Medal in the Children's Choir Division at the World Choir Games in Graz, Austria.
2010: In July 2010, the choir was crowned World Champions and received Gold Medals in the Folklore and Music of the Religions categories at the 6th World Choir Games in Shaoxing, China.
2012: the choir came second overall and won a Gold Medal in the Children’s Choir division at the 7th World Choir Games in Cincinnati, USA. Additionally, they secured two more Gold Medals in Music of the Religions and Folklore categories.
2018: the choir did exceptionally well at the 10th World Choir Games in Tshwane, South Africa. They participated in a mammoth four categories and were crowned World Champions in two categories (the highly coveted Children’s Choirs and the Musica Sacra with Accompaniment) and achieved third place in both Pop Choirs and Folklore with Accompaniment, bringing their total medal count to a staggering four golds.

AWARDS

2004: Outstanding contribution as community leaders awarded by the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut (AHI) in September 2004. In October 2004, they received an award for Outstanding Children's Choir and Outstanding Choral Conductor (Hendrik Loock) from The South African Choral Society. In November 2004, an award for outstanding national and international contribution was bestowed by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport at their Arts, Culture and Heritage Awards Ceremony.
2005: In 2005, Hendrik and Theresa Loock received an award by the Western Cape branch of the ATKV (Afrikaans Language and Culture Association) for their involvement as so-called 'Afrikone' (African Icons) in choir singing over many years. The Choir, with Louis Loock as guest artist, received the prestigious Kanna Award at South Africa's flagship arts festival, the Klein-Karoo National Arts Festival, as the Best Classical Music Production at the festival.
2011: In 2011, the choir was nominated for a Kanna Award for Best Production at the KKNK.
2012: Tygerberg Children's Choir was not only crowned as South Africa's best children's choir but was the overall winner of the ATKV Animato competition in 2012.