Lovers of choral music can look forward to a repertoire of classical, contemporary and modern music catering to a wide audience when the visiting Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir (CRCC) and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University choir perform at the Summerstrand Dutch Reformed Church on Thursday, 18 April.
CRCC’s tour is presented by Cultour Africa Choir and Orchestra Concert Tours and the Royal Danish Embassy in South Africa and will perform in Soweto, Pretoria, George, Swellendam and Cape Town.
Amongst the finest in Europe and often placed alongside the Vienna Boys Choir and the Choir of Kings College, the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir is one of Scandinavia’s oldest choral foundations and one which is richly steeped in tradition.
Mogens Wöldike founded it in 1924 after a visit to Copenhagen by the famous Thomanerchor, the boys’ choir of St. Thomas Church, Leipzig, and Bach’s own choir. Already from the start, the aim of the choir was to perform choral music written for boys and men’s voices from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
Ebbe Munk directs and conducts the choir, comprising 30 boys between the ages of 13 and 16, together with 18 young men.
As part of its duties, CRCC performs at state occasions and during royal visits abroad. Furthermore, the choir is called upon to celebrate special occasions in the Royal Family. CRCC was greatly honoured to play a major musical part at the wedding of Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Mary in Copenhagen Cathedral in 2004 and at the christening of their firstborn, HRH Prince Christian in 2005 and second child HRH Princess Isabella in 2007.
They work regularly with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and have made numerous CD recordings on EMI, Vanguard, Chandos, Decca, Telefunken, Danica Records and Dacapo. In 2000, the CRCC received the prestigious Eugene Mortimer Choir Prize by the European Cultural Foundation Pro Europa.
The concert starts at 18:30. Tickets cost R60 for adults, R50 for pensioners and R25 students/scholars.
