Die aktiwiteite van geselekteerde skoolkore en hul invloed op die musiekopvoeding in die Oranje-Vrystaat - Van Pletzen, Cornelius Carel (University of the Free State, 1995)
In the field of music, the Orange Free State had already been associated with school choirs for some decades. Before his appointment as Inspector of Music in 1940, Petrus Johannes Lemmer had already lent impetus to the culture of the school choir. This he did by means of his dynamical personality. His successor, Mr Dirkie de Villiers, continued his predecessor's pioneering work. Under his leadership, the creation of the Free State Youth Choir indirectly had a productive effect on the school choir movement in the province. The first choir leader who lent prestige to the training of school choirs, was Michael Casaleggio. He had been taught by personalities such as Petrus Lemmer and David Roode, who consequently also influenced him. The work which he did with the choir of the Sentraal High School in Bloemfontein served as an example framework to many rising school choir leaders. Particulars regarding choir selection, voice training, the learning of new choir repertoria, as well as the compilation of a choir festival and competition programme are being discussed in the study with a view to the assistance to choir leaders. Statistical data concerning inter alia rehearsals and practices during rehearsals, the public appearances of choirs and other relevant information add further perspective concerning the current position of school choirs in the province. Guidelines for repertoire choices in the various phases of the development of a school choir, serve as a point of reference in this paper, since most school choir leaders have to gather this information after many years' experience. In some cases they never become familiar with this information. The repertoire rendered by school choirs, had changed in many ways. Whereas Afrikaans and other elements of a national character had taken precedence up to the beginning of the 1970's, various choir leaders thereafter turned to a new kind of repertoire. The influence of Philip McLachlan and certain other university choir leaders is noticeable in the repertoire choices since the 1970's. The repertoire choices of school choir leaders during the current era mainly consist of works with a view to entertainment, however. Arrangements of songs which had been made popular by virtuosos of light music, often dominate the current choir repertoire. The training of choir leaders has already been neglected for decades. This is a result of the fact that the training which is being received at universities and colleges in this regard, is of little relevance to the actual practice. Students who were members of university or college choirs, benefitted to such an extend, however, that it may actually be seen as a primary source of the training of school choir leaders in the province. Performances during choir festivals, eisteddfods and choir competitions have initially been responsible for the coming into being of school choirs (since the 1920's) and served as intrinsic motivation. A feeling of antipathy from the side of the authorities resulted in the fact that, since late in the 1930's, choir festivals have taken the place of choir competitions. In 1978, however the ATKB choir competition came into existence. This resulted in the revival of the competition mania. The phenomenal rise in the standard of some school choirs during the past decade, is directly related to their participation in this competition, both on provincial and national level. Numerous school choirs in the province became known as a result of their participation in as well as their achievement during the National ATKB competition. School choir activities or many have prestige value for their specific school. This resulted in a positive change of attitude of principals, other teachers, parents and pupils regarding these activities. The long term advantages of the competitions are under suspicion, however, since aesthetical education does not necessarily thrive in an atmosphere of competition. Choir festivals like the Grey College Choir Festival in Bloemfontein, the Voortrekker Choir Festival in Bethlehem, the Odensia Choir Festival in Welkom, the Kroonstad Choir Festival, the Willem Postma Choir Festival in Bloemfontein and the Ficksburg Choir Festival remain, however, the most important performance opportunities for school choirs. Participation in school choir singing afford pupils of an opportunity for musical education by means of the medium of choir singing. The purpose of musical education in choir context should, after all be, to help a child develop an aesthetical perception. This point of departure is an ideal which does not necessarily gain acceptance in practice and choir leaders should be made aware of its potential. The school choir culture in the Free State in the current era bears testimony of an energetic and still thriving musical performance practice. A further rise in standards may result direction adj ustment concerning the mission, goals and training of choir leaders as well as a renewal in repertoire and the realisation of the ideal of musical education as regards choirs is made. This is essential with the view of utilising the potential of this activity.

Die Oranje-Vrystaat word wat die musiekterrein betref, dekades lank met die begrip skoolkore geassosieer. Petrus Johannes Lemmer het reeds voor sy aanstelling as musiekinspekteur in 1940 met sy dinamiese persoonlikheid impetus aan die skoolkoorkultuur verleen. Sy opvolger, mnr. Dirkie de Villiers, het op sy pionierswerk voortgebou en onder sy leiding het die stigting van die Vrystaatse Jeugkoor 'n indirekte bevrugtende uitwerking op die skoolkoorbeweging in die provinsie gehad. Die eerste skoolkoorleier wat aansien aan die afrigting van skoolkore verleen het, Michael Casaleggio, is deur persoonlikhede soos Petrus Lenuner en David Roode onderrig en gevolglik ook beïnvloed. Sy werk met die koor Vall die Hoërskool Sentraal in Bloemfontein het vir talle opkomende skoolkoorleiers as verwysingsraamwerk gedien. Besonderhede aangaande koorkeuring, stemoefeninge, die aanleer van nuwe koorrepertoria en die samestelling van 'n koorfees- en kompetisieprogram word in die studie bespreek ten einde vir koorleiers ten baat te kan wees. Statistiese gegewens van onder andere repetisies en gebruike gedurende repetisies, die optreegeleenthede Vall kore en andere relevante inligting verleen verdere perspektief aangaande die huidige skoolkoorsituasie in die provinsie. Riglyne vir repertoriumkeuses in die verskeie stadia van 'n skoolkoor se ontwikkeling dien in hierdie verhandeling as 'n verwysingspunt aangesien die meeste koorleiers hierdie inligting deur jarelange ondervinding moet leer óf in sekere gevalle nooit leer nie. Die repertorium wat skoolkore sing, het talle veranderinge getoon. Waar Afrikaanse en ander volkseie-elemente tot aan die begin van die sewentigerjare voorrang geniet het, het verskeie koorleiers hulle daarna tot nuwesoortige repertorium gewend. Die invloed van Philip McLachlan en sekere ander universiteitskoorleiers word in repertoriumkeuses sedert die sewentigerj me waargeneem. Die repertoriumkeuses van skoolkoorleiers in die huidige era bestaan egter oorwegend uit werke met 'n vermaaklikheidsmotief. Verwerkings van liedere wat deur Suid-Afrikaanse ligtemusiekkunstenaars gewild gemaak is, oorheers dikwels die hedendaagse koorrepertoria. Die opleiding van koorleiers word reeds dekades lank verwaarloos, aangesien die onderrig wat aan universiteite en kolleges in dié verband gegee word, weinig relevansie vir die praktyk inhou. Studente wat egter in universiteitsof kollegekore gesing het, het in so 'n mate daarby gebaat, dat dit inderdaad as 'n primêre bron van opleiding van skoolkoorleiers in die provinsie beskoukan word. Uitvoerings tydens koorfeeste, kunswedstryde, koorkompetisies en eredienste kan as die belangrikste optreegeleenthede van skoolkore beskou word. Koorkompetisies was aanvanklik vanaf die twintigerjare vir die ontstaan van skoolkore verantwoordelik en het as intrinsieke motivering gedien. 'n Antipatie vanuit owerheidsweë het daartoe gelei dat koorkompetisies vanaf die laat-dertigerjare met koorfeeste vervang is. Die instelling van die ATKB-koorkompetisie in 1978, het egter die kompetisiemanie laat herleef. Die fenominale standaardverhoging van sommige skoolkore die afgelope dekade hou regstreeks met die deelname aan die kompetisie, op provinsiale en nasionale vlak verband. Talle skoolkore in die provinsie het bekendheid verwerf weens deelname en prestasie op die Nasionale ATKB- kompetisie. Die prestigewaarde wat skoolkooraktiwiteite vir hul betrokke skool inhou of moontlik mag inhou, het daartoe aanleiding gegee dat 'n positiewe gesindheidsverandering ten opsigte hiervan by skoolhoofde, ander onderwysers, ouers en leerlinge posgevat het. Die langtermynvoordele van die kompetisies word egter onder verdenking geplaas, aangesien opvoeding ten opsigte van die estetiese nie noodwendig in 'n kompetisie-atmosfeer gedy nie. Koorfeeste soos die Grey-Kollege Koorlees in Bloemfontein, die Voortrekker Koorfees in Bethlehem, die Odensia Koorfees in Welkom, die Kroonstad Koorfees, die Willem Postma Koorfees in Bloemfontein en die Ficksburg Koorlees blyegter die vernaamste optreegeleentheid vir skoolkore. Deelname aan skoolkoorsang bied aan leerlinge 'n geleentheid tot musiekopvoedin& deur middel van die koormedium. Die doel van· musiekopvoeding in koorverband behoort na alles te wees om 'n estetiese gewaarwording by die kind te ontsluit. Hierdie uitgangspunt is 'n ideaal wat nie noodwendig in die praktyk inslag vind nie en koorleiers behoortbewus gemaak te word van die potensiaal hiervan.Die skoolkoorkultuur in die Vrystaat getuig in die huidige era steeds van 'n energieke en steeds bloeiende musiekuitvoeringspraktyk. Koersaanpassings ten opsigte van die missie, doelstellings, opleiding van koorleiers, repertoriumvernuwing en die realisering van die ideaal van musiekopvoeding in koorverband is nodig ten einde die potensiaal van die aktiwiteit te benut en verdere standaardverhoging tot gevolg te kan hê.
Dissertation (M.Mus.) - University of the Free State, 1995
Keywords: Choirs (Music); Choral singing -- Juvenile -- History; Choral singing -- Instruction and study -- South Africa -- Free State