Abstract
This article discusses the work of Franco Prinsloo and situates his contribution within the greater context of the role of Latin in South African choirs. As a scholar of ancient languages I focus my research on the lasting impact of Latin on South Africa’s literary and cultural landscape. This article forms part of a greater research project I have undertaken to investigate why Latin choral pieces have maintained their popularity among South African choirs, aiming to answer the following questions: Why do composers like Prinsloo still actively incorporate Latin in their compositions? How do conductors like Prinsloo go about explaining Latin to their choir members, and finally, what does this phenomenon mean for Latinists in South Africa?
As a starting point to answer these questions I interviewed Prinsloo on 27 August 2024 about his work and views on Latin’s historical and lasting impact on choral music, particularly in a South African context. There is a noticeable gap in the literature on this subject, which provides a valuable opportunity for musicians and Latinists to expand one another’s knowledge regarding the various applications of Latin. The conversation with Prinsloo is approached from a pedagogical and philological stance that focuses on Prinsloo’s engagement with issues such as proper Latin pronunciation and the interpretation and translation of Latin texts from the perspective of a composer and conductor who needs to elucidate these aspects of a Latin choral work to his choir members in a multilingual environment.
Prinsloo is an award-winning South African composer and choir conductor. He received his most recent award on 18 September 2024 at the Aitsa awards ceremony in Pretoria, which celebrates Afrikaans music by South African artists. Prinsloo had composed a piece entitled “Deurgrond” (“with deeply rooted understanding”) at the beginning of 2024 for one of his choirs called the Vox Chamber Choir, for which he and his choir won the Aitsa award for the year’s Best Classical Work in Afrikaans. While Prinsloo is certainly a gem for the Afrikaans music industry, he is also a prolific composer who has composed many works in other languages, but most significantly in Latin.
This research project therefore examines the unique relationship between those who use Latin for their art and those whose art is Latin. Prinsloo’s composition Salve Regina (2019) is discussed to serve as an example of one of the benefits of Latin to composers of choral music since Latin enables conductors to share their works with international audiences. This article also examines some of Prinsloo’s other compositions, particularly Carpe Diem and Cantata Modimo. Carpe Diem is a composition based on the Roman poet Horatius’ eponymous poem that centres on the theme of seizing (plucking) the day. Prinsloo composed this piece during the COVID-19 pandemic. This composition is discussed to highlight the relevance of Latin literature and how contemporary musicians like Prinsloo still utilise an ancient language such as Latin to address contemporary issues.
Cantata Modimo (2019) is one of Prinsloo’s most remarkable compositions, and is examined to illustrate how Latin plays a role in contemporary South African choir music. Cantata Modimo is arguably one of Prinsloo’s most remarkable works. In this choral work, Prinsloo pieced together different passages from the Vulgate to tell a moving story about the creation of the world, God blowing breath into Adam, the downfall of mankind, and how our only hope and salvation is to be good to one another and to take care of the planet. Cantata Modimo has three primary sections and incorporates five different languages: Zulu, Setswana, English, Afrikaans and Latin. In the final movement the various languages are all blended to emphasise the vital concept of ubuntu and to illustrate South Africa’s diverse yet united identity. By changing the familiar “Cantate Domino” to “Cantata Modimo” Prinsloo highlights South Africa’s unique choral tradition while simultaneously underscoring the fact that “Latin is not just for a specific group of people, because it now belongs to everyone” (Prinsloo 2024).
Prinsloo seems to create dynamic and inclusive spaces for performers in a choir setting. In his work Prinsloo challenges the boundaries of choral music, expanding the traditional scope of people able to access Latin and exploring new ways this language can be actively used. In my conversation with Prinsloo it became evident that the defining characteristics of his choir practices, particularly regarding his approach to Latin instruction, are the following: repetition of Latin vocabulary, association with other Latin words and even other languages, and most importantly, humour. These factors are undoubtedly integral elements that should be included in a contemporary approach to Latin pedagogy. One of the key factors that makes Latin more accessible to students learning Latin for choral works is the musical environment and the more informal ways that choir members interact with the language. Prinsloo (2024) supports this statement by remarking that choir members are there not to focus on all the complexities of the Latin, but instead to focus on understanding how Latin contributes to their interpretation and performance of the music.
While Prinsloo is also of the opinion that Latin is more of an artefact than a language, since Latin is rarely used as an active spoken language in everyday life, it is evident that Latin is not merely something that has been locked up in a glass cabinet. Instead, it is sung, interacted with, and even played with. This is because Latin still plays a very active role in the practices and performances of South African choral music. This article addresses a patent gap in the literature regarding the lasting impact of Latin on South African choir music, underscoring the need for proper Latin instruction and better guidelines for South African choirs and their conductors. This research project calls for better communication between Latinists and choral musicians by initiating a dialogue between Latin scholars and South African choirs. I contend that greater collaboration between these two groups would be a mutually beneficial undertaking. A more comprehensive knowledge of Latin will enable choir members to sing with greater understanding and interpret the music with deeper insight. Owing to the widespread use of Latin by choirs in South Africa, Latin is no longer limited to university classrooms, churches or courts; it reverberates in homes, schools, musical theatres and public spaces accessible to all. By engaging with the artists of South Africa’s choral tradition, Latin practitioners can make a meaningful impact beyond academia and contribute to a vibrant and essential part of the country’s rich cultural heritage.
Keywords: choral music; Latin; Franco Prinsloo; South African choirs; South African composers
- This article’s featured image was created by David Beale and obtained from Unsplash.