For most of his life, music meant movement for Centurion musician Phil Holder.

The accomplished saxophonist spent decades travelling the world, performing with orchestras, choirs and renowned artists. He played everywhere from Canada to Australia, from Las Vegas to Chicago, bringing his distinctive sound to audiences across the globe.

Then cancer brought everything to a halt.

Today, after years of illness, surgery, treatment and uncertainty, Holder is back on stage with The Phil Holder Quartet and recently pushed himself to perform at a major jazz event, a milestone he once feared he might never reach.

Holder was first diagnosed with cancer in 2019.

At the time, he underwent an operation in Johannesburg and hoped to return to normal life. Instead, the years that followed became some of the most difficult of his life.

He spent periods working in Spain and Majorca after the diagnosis, but his health continued to challenge him. A chronic infection lingered for nearly a year and a half, draining his strength and affecting every aspect of daily life.

In April 2024, another devastating setback arrived when he was diagnosed with colon cancer. The prognosis was grim. Holder said he was given only a few months to live.

Yet even as his health deteriorated, music remained a constant companion. Whenever his strength allowed it, he continued playing the saxophone.

Long before his illness, Holder had built an impressive musical career. He performed with philharmonic orchestras and choirs and toured extensively around the world.

One highlight was performing in Canada as part of a three-week concert tour. During one production, he joined a 40-piece orchestra to add an African musical element to the programme.

He fondly remembers the energy of life on the road. “It was a lot of fun,” he reflects. The constant travelling, rehearsals and performances became part of his identity.

“Then came my time when I was humbled by my illness,” he says.

Rather than seeing the disease as an intrusion on his life, Holder viewed it differently. “I never saw the cancer as a punishment but a way to learn about myself and to slow down.”

Both times the illness forced him to re-evaluate what mattered most.

“I often prayed and asked the Lord what His plan is. I did not argue and I was not worried, but the suffering was big.”

Despite the pain and uncertainty, he said gratitude remained an important part of his journey. “I had a sense of saying thanks to the Lord and others while going through it.”

Holder credits several people for helping him reach a point where recovery became possible.

Among them was his long-time friend, Prof Matt Haus of the Faculty of Health of the University of Pretoria.

Holder and Haus had known each other for about two decades and occasionally made music together.

When conventional options appeared limited, Haus refused to give up on him.

Holder says Haus introduced him to a possible path towards recovery and treatment when his outlook seemed bleak. “He just never gave up on me,” says Holder.

That introduction eventually led him to treatment in KwaZulu-Natal under Dr Ammo Jordaan at Richards Bay Oncology. There he underwent targeted radiation treatment.

Holder received four treatments at the facility’s Radiation Oncology Unit, which provides advanced cancer care through chemotherapy, radiology, nuclear medicine and a range of radiation therapies. The centre is equipped with the Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator, which allows highly precise radiation treatment.

Holder believes the treatment played a crucial role in saving his life. “I hope to be making music still for quite a while,” he says.

Throughout the ordeal, his faith remained central. “I believe in miracles and saw a few of them during my illness.”

One of those miracles, he believes, was being able to perform again. A few weeks ago he made the bold decision to participate in a major jazz event despite concerns about his strength and stamina. The experience exceeded his expectations.
“Every night went well with friends supporting me so well I could not believe it.”

The support extended beyond the stage. His friend, Jonathan Birin, organised a benefit concert in his honour, lifting his spirits during one of the most challenging chapters of his life.

Music itself entered Holder’s life through an unexpected path. He originally played guitar before discovering the saxophone. At one stage he borrowed his brother’s saxophone and immediately felt a connection with the instrument.

Years later, after playing a gig at a wedding, he joined an informal jam session at a farmer’s house.

There he received a remarkable gift. An old saxophone, untouched for years after the death of a family member, was handed to him.

The instrument would become part of the musical journey that followed. Over the years, he performed alongside celebrated South African musicians, including Hugh Masekela and Kurt Darren.

His philosophy about music remains unchanged. “I am thankful that I discovered that with music you will find your own muse.”

As a hint for aspiring musicians, he says that authenticity is everything. “But you need to keep it real. You must share who you are. That way you will be true to the artist in you.”

Today another source of inspiration has emerged close to home. Holder’s daughter Tatum Tides has begun making music herself. Recently, she surprised him with a recording of her own song.

The moment was deeply emotional. “What encourages me is that I could listen to a song that she has recorded with two friends. This was a huge surprise to me.”

For a man once told he had only months left to live, the simple act of listening to his daughter’s music and stepping back onto a stage carries special significance.

The road has been long and difficult, marked by illness, suffering and uncertainty. But through faith, friendship, medical care and music, Holder has found his way back to the saxophone that has defined so much of his life.

And with every note he plays, he is writing another chapter in a story that once seemed close to its final musical page.

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