Young voices take centre stage at choir festival

Held throughout South Africa, the ATKV Applous Choir Festival gives talented young vocalists the opportunity to perform before adjudicators and live audiences, while celebrating the rich tradition of Afrikaans and non-traditional choir music.

This weekend’s Pretoria performances took place at the NGK Skuilkrans, where the church grounds transformed into a lively festival atmosphere.

Families, learners, and supporters filled the venue as food stalls, local treats, and community vendors added to the festive energy.

SUPPORTERS AND FRIENDS

From pancakes and traditional Afrikaans favourites to brownies and Rice Krispie-treats sold by local children’s homes and community groups, the event became more than just a music competition. It turned into a celebration of youth, culture, and community.

SINGERS AND CONDUCTORS

Primary and high school choirs from across Pretoria performed for packed audiences, showcasing carefully prepared harmonies, powerful vocals, and emotionally driven performances.

The evening highlighted not only musical talent but also the dedication and passion shared between choir conductors and their learners.

Conductors and choir leaders spoke passionately about their learners and the role choirs play in building discipline, confidence, and unity among young people.

“I love these festivals! It unites choir members of all cultures and most of all, it feels like a reunion every year among conductors, musicians and choristers. Celebrating each other’s growth and creativity each year. The festival has a natural propensity to let conductors and choristers improve every year,” said Elize Eloff, the conductor of Laerskool Elarduspark.

Another conductor, Anton Pottas, said: “My favourite part of being a conductor is teaching the kids something they can use and remember for the rest of their lives. My part is to help the kids grow through music. Festivals like the ATKV allow choirs to show off and fine-tune their skills, and we get to travel across South Africa.” Potts is the conductor for both Laerskool Garsfontein and Laerskool Wierdapark.

Parents and supporters filled the auditorium, eagerly watching each performance and cheering on the young singers who took to the stage with confidence and pride.

The massive Pretoria regional festival featured an impressive 88 entries competing across the Merit (Afrikaans and non-Afrikaans choirs) and Open divisions, culminating with the Prestige choirs taking the stage on Saturday evening.

To maintain strict competitive standards, choirs at the regional festivals do not receive their exact point scores immediately. Instead, they are awarded a category tier, with bronze being the lowest (60–69%), silver the second-highest rank (70–79%), and Gold the highest tier (80–100%).

This local round is part of an expansive national footprint: judges travel throughout South Africa and Namibia, evaluating 315 choirs in 23 centres across all nine provinces.

At the conclusion of the regional phase, the top-scoring choirs in the country will be invited to the Grand Final, taking place this year at the Cape Town City Hall from July 29 to August 1.

The outstanding Gold-tier performers in the Primary School Prestige Division included Primary School Prestige Division Laerskool Elarduspark (conducted by Elize Eloff), Laerskool Garsfontein (conducted by Anton Pottas), and Laerskool Wierdapark (also conducted by Pottas).

In the High School Prestige Division, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (conducted by Raine Pienaar), Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (conducted by AJ Maree), Hoërskool Garsfontein (conducted by Ruan Odendaal), Die Hoërskool Menlopark (conducted by Jeanmari van Papendorp), Pretoria High School for Girls (conducted by Herman Swanepoel), and Hoërskool Waterkloof (conducted by Gert Pottas) also made excellent gold-tier performances.