The Stellenbosch University Choir () 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.

CategoryPointsResult3rd World Choir Games, Bremen, Germany (2004)Mixed Youth Choirs93.13 (Gold)Category winnerFolklore A Cappella85.75 (Gold)4th Place5th World Choir Games, Graz, Austria (2008)Mixed Youth Choirs85.25 (Gold)4th PlaceMusica Sacra (Open)92.13 (Gold)Category winnerGospel & Spiritual (Open)92.13 (Gold)Runner-up6th World Choir Games, Shaoxing, China (2010)Mixed Choirs95.75 (Gold)Category winnerMusica Contemporanea90.88 (Gold)Category winner7th World Choir Games, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (2012)Mixed Choirs93.50 (Gold)Category winnerMusica Sacra96.88 (Gold) *Category winnerPopular Choral Music91.25 (Gold)Runner-up8th World Choir Games, Riga, Latvia (2014)Mixed Choirs99.00 (Gold) *Category winnerMusica Sacra with Accompaniment95.63 (Gold)Category winnerSpiritual98.38 (Gold) *Category winner9th World Choir Games, Sochi, Russia (2016)Musica Sacra A Cappella92.75 (Gold)Category winnerMusica Contemporanea98.25 (Gold)Category winnerSpiritual96.88 (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.

CategoryPointsResult 2018A2 Youth Choirs95.70Category winnerA1 Mixed Choirs92.00Category winnerA5 Open Choirs95.30Category 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. CategoryPointsResult2025GP4 Adult Choirs96.56Runner-upGP6 Musica Sacra A Capella95.313rd PlaceGP8 Jazz, Pop, Show95.69Runner-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.

References