Stellenbosch University Choir
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The Stellenbosch University Choir (Afrikaans: Stellenbosch Universiteitskoor) is a choir affiliated with Stellenbosch University. Founded in 1936, it is the oldest choir in South Africa. The choir is viewed as a leading South African choral ensemble and has toured overseas extensively where it has won critical acclaim for its performances. The current conductor, André van der Merwe, was appointed at the beginning of 2003.
History
The choir was founded in 1936 by William Morris and has established itself as one of the best choirs in South Africa and the world.
Conductors
The current conductor of the choir is André van der Merwe (since 2003).
Previous conductors:
- William Morris (1936-1939)
- Gawie Cillie (1939-1955)
- Prof. Philip McLachlan (1956-1975)
- Prof. Johan de Villiers (1976-1984)
- Acama Fick (1985-1992)
- Sonja van der Walt (1993-2002).
Notable Achievements
Interkultur World Rankings
From October 2012 until August 2024, the Stellenbosch University Choir was rated as the top amateur choir in the world by the Interkultur Foundation world ranking system, with a maximum possible score of 1272 points.
The choir was also placed in the top 10 rankings for various categories, namely, first in the Mixed Choirs category (1272 points), second in the Sacred Music & Music of the Religions category (1233 points), and first in the Pop, Jazz, Gospel, Spiritual & Barber Shop category (1234 points).
The choir was removed from the Interkultur World Rankings in August 2024, according to the World Rankings rules, as the choir had not competed in any Interkultur events in the past five years.
World Choir Games
The choir first attended the Interkultur World Choir Games in 2004, at the 3rd Choir Olympics (now World Choir Games) held in Bremen, Germany.
In 2018, André van der Merwe, was appointed as the chairperson of the National Artistic Committee for the 2018 World Choir Games held in Tshwane, South Africa; therefore the choir did not participate in this edition of the competition. The choir did however perform as a demonstration- and show choir during the event.
| Category | Points | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd World Choir Games, Bremen, Germany (2004) | ||
| Mixed Youth Choirs | 93.13 (Gold) | Category winner |
| Folklore A Cappella | 85.75 (Gold) | 4th Place |
| 5th World Choir Games, Graz, Austria (2008) | ||
| Mixed Youth Choirs | 85.25 (Gold) | 4th Place |
| Musica Sacra (Open) | 92.13 (Gold) | Category winner |
| Gospel & Spiritual (Open) | 92.13 (Gold) | Runner-up |
| 6th World Choir Games, Shaoxing, China (2010) | ||
| Mixed Choirs | 95.75 (Gold) | Category winner |
| Musica Contemporanea | 90.88 (Gold) | Category winner |
| 7th World Choir Games, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (2012) | ||
| Mixed Choirs | 93.50 (Gold) | Category winner |
| Musica Sacra | 96.88 (Gold) * | Category winner |
| Popular Choral Music | 91.25 (Gold) | Runner-up |
| 8th World Choir Games, Riga, Latvia (2014) | ||
| Mixed Choirs | 99.00 (Gold) * | Category winner |
| Musica Sacra with Accompaniment | 95.63 (Gold) | Category winner |
| Spiritual | 98.38 (Gold) * | Category winner |
| 9th World Choir Games, Sochi, Russia (2016) | ||
| Musica Sacra A Cappella | 92.75 (Gold) | Category winner |
| Musica Contemporanea | 98.25 (Gold) | Category winner |
| Spiritual | 96.88 (Gold) | Category winner |
* World Choir Games record
Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
The choir's first attendance of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, in Llangollen, Wales was in 2018 where they won all three categories they competed in, but ultimately lost to the National University of Singapore in the finals. The choir was also invited to perform in the coveted International Celebration Concert at the event.
| Category | Points | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | ||
| A2 Youth Choirs | 95.70 | Category winner |
| A1 Mixed Choirs | 92.00 | Category winner |
| A5 Open Choirs | 95.30 | Category winner |
European Choir Games and Grand Prix of Nations
In July 2025, the choir competed in the 6th European Choir Games and Grand Prix of Nations in Aarhus, Denmark. This was the choir’s first international competition after a 7-year hiatus. During the event, the choir performed in a celebration concert with the Akademisk Kor Aarhus, which was regarded as a highlight of the festival programme.
| Category | Points | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ||
| GP4 Adult Choirs | 96.56 | Runner-up |
| GP6 Musica Sacra A Capella | 95.31 | 3rd Place |
| GP8 Jazz, Pop, Show | 95.69 | Runner-up |
Other
At the 9th World Choir Games in 2016, the choir was awarded the Hänssler-INTERKULTUR CD Award, as the best choir at the event. The award includes an album deal with the Hänssler Classic record label.
International Tours
In 2022, the choir was invited to perform at the funeral of Princess Margaret Obaigbena in Asaba, Nigeria. The choir undertook a week-long trip to Lagos and Asaba, before returning to Cape Town.
In 2023, the choir was invited by Dr Haruhisa Handa to perform at the ISPS Sports Values Summit in Tokyo, Japan. The choir undertook a 6-day-long trip to Tokyo where they performed at the summit and met Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who admitted that he is a fan of the choir.