Auditions are currently ongoing for the first-ever choral academy in the Western Cape, which is set to open its doors in 2023.
This is according to Xander Kritzinger, director and cantor of the newly-found Cape Choral Academy. Kritzinger, who is also a part-time voice lecturer at Stellenbosch University (SU), explained that prospective students would be required to audition and write an academic admissions test.
The academy was established to cater for young minds that have a natural sense of creativity, said Kritzinger. “We see the ability of music education to open up young minds where the current schooling system does not allow them to flourish,” he said.
The academy had a launch event on 3 September in Stellenbosch at the NG Kerk Stellenbosch Welgelegen, with the aim of providing attendees with an evening of performances by local choirs and information sharing.
A choral academy is a school that concentrates on training those with innate musical talent by providing education through choral music, said Kritzinger in his speech at the launch.
Despite only opening in 2023, the launch of the first-ever choral academy in the Western Cape took place on 3 September at the NG Kerk Stellenbosch Welgelegen. “Daily morning and evening meditational services will form part of the curriculum for the Cape Choral Academy and will be hosted by the church,” said Xander Kritzinger, director and cantor of the Cape Choral Academy. PHOTO: Takudzwa Pongweni
The start of something new
The academy will initially accommodate 40 learners aged nine to 14, with plans to accommodate up to 100 children within the next five years, said Kritzinger. The school will accommodate grades four to nine, he added.
So far, more than 30 students have been accepted and, within the next month, the final 40 students will have been selected, he stated.
“We are only taking students from the Western Cape at this time. We have a hostel but we can only accommodate 12 kids at this stage,” he explained.
An unconventional approach to teaching
The academy will employ a hybrid system of education, working in collaboration with Stellenbosch University and following the Independent Examinations Board curriculum through Brainline, an e-learning distance education institution, said Kritzinger.
Students of the academy will not follow a conventional school day timetable, he said. The timetable will consist of chanting and meditation at NG Kerk Stellenbosch Welgelegen, two hours of choir rehearsals, individual singing lessons, piano lessons, score reading, theory and aural training, said Kritzinger. Students will also be able to choose an instrument of their choice to learn, added Kritzinger.
“We are taking the old system of schooling, throwing it on its head and changing the whole system,” he said.
The Cape Choral Academy will open its doors in 2023, accommodating 40 students from grade four to grade nine. The academy will make use of a hybrid system of education, integrating music and following the Independent Examinations Board curriculum through Brainline, an e-learning distance education institution, said Xander Kritzinger, director and cantor of the Cape Choral Academy. PHOTO: Takudzwa Pongweni
Getting pitch perfect
The academy has applied for registration with the Western Cape education department, according to Kerry Mauchline, spokesperson for David Maynier, the Western Cape provincial minister of education.
“A follow-up meeting with the school in terms of meeting the registration requirements is scheduled for October,” stated Mauchline, via email correspondence with MatieMedia.
Although nothing has been formalised yet, the academy is in talks with SU’s music department to establish a potential partnership, Dr Mario Nell, chair of SU’s music department, told MatieMedia via email correspondence.
The Cape Choral Academy will take a unique approach to learning, as students of the academy will not follow a conventional school day timetable, said Xander Kritzinger, director and cantor of the academy. “What we are doing is we are taking the old system of schooling, throwing it on its head and changing the whole system,” he said. The academy will use NG Kerk Stellenbosch Welgelegen for classes and rehearsals, he added. PHOTO: Takudzwa Pongweni