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Reghardt Kühn praat met Naomi Meyer oor musiek in die wynlande. Reghardt Kühn in conversation with Naomi Meyer about the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra.
Reghardt, wat is jou droom? Reghardt, what is your dream?
My droom is om ’n voltydse professionele dirigent te wees – om saam met mense musiek te maak. Soos wat ek ontwikkel in my professie en in my eie lewe, besef ek al hoe meer hoe graag ek klassieke musiek wil help bevorder en ontwikkel ine Suid-Afrika, sodat almal dit kan geniet.
My dream is to become a full-time professional conductor – to make music with people all the time. As I develop in my profession and in my life, I realise more and more how keen I am to advance and develop classical music in South Africa in order for everyone to enjoy it.
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As I develop in my profession and in my life, I realise more and more how keen I am to advance and develop classical music in South Africa in order for everyone to enjoy it.
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Wie is die Wynlande Filharmoniese Orkes (WFO) en hoe het dit ontstaan? What is the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra (WPO) and how did it come about?
Die Suid-Afrikaanse orkesbedryf is klein en geleenthede vir jong, plaaslike dirigente is maar yl gesaai. Tydens die COVID-19-pandemie het sulke geleenthede feitlik opgedroog. Ek is vroeg in 2022 genader deur Izelle Theunissen (ons eerste tjellis) om ’n ensemble te dirigeer wat op ’n gereelde basis bymekaarkom en wat gerig is op amateurmusikante. Sy het haar frustrasie met my gedeel dat amateurspelers baie selde kans kry om hulle spel te ontwikkel, aangesien hulle meestal gevra word om deel te wees van eenmalige produksies of konserte, waar ’n orkes byvoorbeeld vir een week bymekaarkom voor ’n konsert, en dan nie weer saam oefen tot die volgende projek maande later nie. Izelle het gesê sy sou dit so geniet om meer gereeld te kan speel, sodat haar eie spel ook kan verbeter. Na ons gesprek het ek besef dat dit ’n ongelooflike geleentheid kan wees – sê maar ons sou ’n orkes begin wat elke week oefen, een met langtermyndoelwitte, wat bereid is om sy spelers se vermoëns ’n bietjie te druk en meer uitdagende werke aan te pak as die algemene standaard-“pops en film hits”? Dit was die geboorte van die WFO. Ek het die stigting van die orkes op sosiale media begin aankondig, en binne ’n maand het amper 75 mense aansoek gedoen om deel te wees van die orkes! Ek was heeltemal oorweldig deur die onmiddellike belangstelling vanuit die plaaslike gemeenskap en is so trots op wat ons tot dusver kon bereik.
Ons het in Mei 2022 ons eerste oefening gehad. Ek het begin met net ’n strykorkes, omdat ek die strykers, die “hart” van die simfonieorkes, eerste wou vestig as ’n span. In Oktober 2022 het ons begin met die volle tutti – houtblasers, koperblaas en perkussie het by ons aangesluit om uiteindelik die WFO te vorm.
The South African orchestra industry is small and opportunities for young, local conductors are sparse. During the COVID-19 pandemic such opportunities virtually dried up. I was approached by Izelle Theunissen (our first cellist) early in 2022 to direct ? conduct ? an ensemble that meets on a regular basis and is aimed at amateur musicians. She shared her frustration with me that amateur players rarely get a chance to develop their playing, as they are usually asked to be part of one-off productions or concerts, where an orchestra meets, say, for one week before a concert and then does not practise together again until the next project months later. Izelle said she would enjoy playing more regularly so that her own playing could also improve. After our conversation I realised that this could be an incredible opportunity – what if we started an orchestra that practises every week, one with long-term goals, that is willing to push its players a little and tackle more challenging works than the standard "pops and film hits"? This was the birth of the WPO. I began by announcing the establishment of the orchestra on social media, and within a month almost 75 people had applied to be part of the orchestra! I was completely overwhelmed by the immediate interest from the local community and am so proud of what we have been able to achieve so far.
We had our first practice in May 2022. I started with just a string orchestra, because I first wanted to establish the strings, the "heart" of the symphony orchestra, as a team. In October 2022 we started with the full tutti – woodwinds, brass, and percussion joined us to eventually form the WPO.
As ’n baie groot gedeelte van die orkes uit amateurs bestaan (mense wat voltyds ander beroepe beoefen en musiek speel omdat hulle kan, maar nie teen vergoeding nie en omdat hulle daarvoor lief is), kan mens hoegenaamd ’n kwaliteit-ervaring van hierdie orkes verwag? If a large part of the orchestra consists of amateurs (people who have other full-time professions and play music because they can, but not for compensation, and because they love it), can you expect a quality experience from this orchestra at all?
Absoluut! Onthou dat die word “amateur” afkomstig is van die Latynse “amare”, wat beteken “om lief te hê”. Die lede van ons orkes word gedryf deur hulle liefde vir musiek. Daar is ’n menigte musici in die orkes wat definitief in staat sou gewees het om musiek hulle professie te maak, maar na skool het hulle beroepspassie elders gelê. Ons lede is mense met jare se toewyding aan hulle instrumente, maar wat besluit het om dokters, ekonome, of wiskundiges te word – waarom sou ’n mens hulle musikale talente net laat verlore gaan? Ek het in my nege jaar as dirigent van die Stellenbosch Universiteit Mediese Orkes (SUMO) gesien dat amateurmusikante uiters gedrewe kan wees om uitdagende stukke baas te raak. Die orkes het ook ’n paar musiekonderwysers in – mense wat wel professionele musikante is, maar wat selde self die geleentheid kry om uit te voer. Die orkes het in hulle ook ’n hernude passie vir musiek opgewek.
Ons huidige repertorium is wel uitdagend, maar die orkes is só gedrewe om ’n kwaliteitvertoning te lewer – hulle is regtig inspirerend. Amateurorkeste is natuurlik nie ’n vreemde ding nie – in Europa het amper elke dorp ’n orkes, of dit nou ’n simfonieorkes is of ’n plaaslike “oempa”-orkes. Gemeenskappe kom bymekaar in die gedeelde liefde vir musiek.
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Amateurorkeste is natuurlik nie ’n vreemde ding nie – in Europa het amper elke dorp ’n orkes, of dit nou ’n simfonieorkes is of ’n plaaslike “oempa”-orkes. Gemeenskappe kom bymekaar in die gedeelde liefde vir musiek.
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Absolutely! Remember that the word "amateur" is derived from the Latin "amare", which means "to love". The members of our orchestra are driven by their love of music. There are many musicians in the orchestra who would definitely have been able to make music their profession, but after school their professional passion lay elsewhere. Our members are people who have dedicated years to their instruments, but have decided to become doctors, economists or mathematicians – why would you let their musical talents go to waste? In my nine years as conductor of the Stellenbosch University Medical Orchestra (SUMO) I have seen that amateur musicians can be extremely driven to master challenging pieces. The orchestra also has a few music teachers – people who are professional musicians but rarely get the opportunity to perform. The orchestra has rekindled a renewed passion for music in them too.
Our current repertoire is indeed challenging, but the orchestra is so driven to deliver a quality performance – they are truly inspiring. Amateur orchestras are, of course, not a strange thing – in Europe almost every village has an orchestra, whether it’s a symphony orchestra or a local "oompah" orchestra, and these bring communities together in the shared love of music.
https://www.quicket.co.za/organisers/51737-winelands-philharmonic-orchestra
Ons leef in ’n land waar mense so baie basiese dinge nodig het en dit nie kan bekostig nie. Waarom is musiek belangrik? We live in a country where people need so many basic things and can’t afford them. Why is music important?
Mens word wakker om by die werk uit te kom, om geld te maak, om ’n huisie te kan bekostig, om ’n plek te hê om te slaap, net om wakker te word en die siklus van voor af te doen. Dit is nie veel van ’n bestaansrede nie. Soos Robin Williams gesê het as die karakter John Keating in The Dead Poets Society, die verskillende werke wat ons doen is nodig om lewe te onderhou, maar die kunste is ons rede om aan te hou lewe. Ons het musiek nodig, want dit voed en genees die siel. In die moeilike tye wat ons land nou ervaar, is dit nog meer die geval.
Ons wil graag by ’n punt as orkes kom waar ons musiek kan bring na die gemeenskappe wat dit die minste kan bekostig om konserte by te woon. Ek was lank betrokke by die Jamestown Sounds-projek wat musieklesse aanbied vir kinders in Cloetesville en Jamestown – ek het gesien musiek is vir sommige van daardie kinders die enigste ding wat hulle uit ’n bendelewe hou, of dis die ding wat vir hulle ’n beurs losgeslaan het by ’n goeie skool waar hulle net nog meer geleenthede sal kry. Musiek sal altyd belangrik wees, omdat dit die potensiaal het om vir mense soveel meer te beteken as net ’n konsertkaartjie.
One wakes up to go to work, to make money, to afford a house, to have a place to sleep, just to wake up and repeat the cycle all over again. This isn’t much of a reason for existing. As Robin Williams said as the character John Keating in The Dead Poets Society, the different jobs we do are necessary to sustain life, but the arts are what we stay alive for. We need music because it nourishes and heals the soul. In the difficult times that our country is now experiencing, this is even more the case.
We would like to reach a point as an orchestra where we can bring music to communities that can least afford to attend concerts. I have long been involved with the Jamestown Sounds music project which offers music lessons to children in Cloetesville and Jamestown – for some of those children music is the only thing keeping them out of a life of crime, or it’s the thing that got them a scholarship to a good school where they’ll have even more opportunities. Music will always be important because it has the potential to mean so much more to people than just a concert ticket.
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We would like to reach a point as an orchestra where we can bring music to communities that can least afford to attend concerts. I have long been involved with the Jamestown Sounds music project which offers music lessons to children in Cloetesville and Jamestown – for some of those children music is the only thing keeping them out of a life of crime, or it’s the thing that got them a scholarship to a good school where they’ll have even more opportunities. Music will always be important because it has the potential to mean so much more to people than just a concert ticket.
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Die Wynland Filharmoniese Orkes het sedert sy geboorte reeds ’n paar treë gevorder. Wil jy iets van daardie eerste treë vertel? The Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra has made a few strides since its inception. Would you like to tell us something about those first strides?
Ek moet erken dat ek nie verwag het ons sou vandag al hier wees nie. Ons orkes is al 50 lede sterk, en ons het onlangs as ’n niewins-organisasie geregistreer. Die lede van die orkes is werklik ongelooflike mense en hulle het baie sterk ingekoop in die idee dat ons die WFO as ’n instelling wil vestig. Ons wil baie graag bydra tot die ontwikkeling van klassieke musiek in die gemeenskap en ons is besig om ons pad te karteer om dit op ’n konstruktiewe en ’n volhoubare manier te doen.
I must admit that I did not expect us to be at this point already. Our orchestra is already 50 members strong, and we recently registered as a non-profit organisation. The members of the orchestra are truly amazing people, and they have really bought into the idea of establishing the WPO as an institution. We really want to contribute to the development of classical music in the community and we are mapping out our path to do it in a constructive and sustainable way.
Watter soort musiek speel die orkes en watter soort musiek wil jy hê moet die orkes speel – en waarom? What kind of music does the orchestra play and what kind of music would you like the orchestra to play – and why?
Die orkes speel gelukkig reeds hoofsaaklik die musiek wat ek wil hê hulle moet speel. Daar is soveel verskeidenheid in klassieke musiek, maar om een of ander rede is daar ’n blywende fokus op “pops” en musiek uit musiekspele of flieks. Hoewel hierdie genres ook pragtige musiek bevat, kan ons ons gehore meer bied. Ons speel in hierdie komende konsert ’n verskeidenheid werke, maar dit is nie werke wat baie gereeld uitgevoer word in Suid-Afrika nie. Ons mik om sover as moontlik die wonderlike werke te speel wat nie genoeg tyd in die sonlig kry nie, met minder fokus op klassieke “treffers”. My tweede doel met die orkes se musiekkeuses is om meer musiek van Suid-Afrikaanse komponiste uit te voer. Suid-Afrikaanse komposisies hier in Afrika!
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My tweede doel met die orkes se musiekkeuses is om meer musiek van Suid-Afrikaanse komponiste uit te voer. Suid-Afrikaanse komposisies hier in Afrika!
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Al is die WFO ’n gemeenskapsorkes, is daar maar altyd bedryfsonkoste aan verbonde. Hoewel ons nie ons lede betaal nie, en ek as dirigent ook nie betaal word nie, moet ons basiese goed dek soos die huur van ’n oefenlokaal en konsertsale. Ons moet tans al hierdie kostes uit ons kaartjieverkope verhaal, maar ons sal graag wil kyk na die moontlikheid van borgskappe en donasies. Ons hoop ook om te kan registreer as ’n PBO wat belastingsertifikate kan uitreik vir skenkings soos wat ons ons uitreikprogramme opbou. As enigiemand voel hulle wil ’n bydrae tot die orkes maak, al is dit met ’n diens of ’n produk wat die orkes kan gebruik, kan hulle ons gerus kontak by info@wporchestra.com.
Fortunately, the band already mainly plays the music I wouldl like them to play. There is so much variety in classical music, but for some reason there is a lasting focus on "pops" and music from musicals or movies. Although these genres offer beautiful music, we can offer our audiences more. We are playing a variety of works in this upcoming concert, but they are not works that are performed very often in South Africa. We aim to play as much as possible the wonderful works that don’t get enough time in the spotlight, with less focus on classic "hits". My second goal with the orchestra’s music is to perform more music by South African composers. South African compositions here in Africa!
Even though the WFO is a community orchestra, there are always operating costs involved. Although we don’t pay our members, and I as a conductor don’t get paid either, we have to cover basic things like renting a rehearsal room and concert halls. We currently have to recover all these costs from our ticket sales, but we would like to look into the possibility of sponsorships and donations. We also hope to be able to register as a PBO which can issue tax certificates for donations as we build our outreach programs. If anyone feels they want to make a contribution to the orchestra, even if it is with a service or a product that the orchestra can use, they are welcome to contact us at info@wporchestra.com.
Kommentaar
Dit is 'n pragtige onderneming. Veels geluk en sterkte!
Ek is 'n houtblaser (klarinet en saksofoon) en dit is jammer ek is so ver van Stellenbosch af!