Orchestra raises the roof at St Agnes Anglican Church
One of the oldest South African orchestras played to an enthusiastic audience in Kloof, last weekend.
THE Durban City Orchestra (DCO) performed A Classical and Romantic Concert at St Agnes Anglican Church in Kloof recently.
The community and amateur orchestra has a complement of approximately 30 active members, over a broad age range, who rehearse together weekly. The orchestra includes two accomplished professional musicians. Charl van der Merwe is the resident conductor, and Jitske Brien is the concertmaster. Van der Merwe is a professional bassoonist at the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, where Brien assists regularly as the violinist. Soloists for the performance were Tony Hind on flute and Wesley Lewis on clarinet.
The programme
The programme comprised Coriolan Overture Op 62, Ludwig van Beethoven; Czech Suite Op 39, Antonin Dvorak; Ballade Op 288 for Flute and Orchestra, Carl Reinecke (soloist Tony Hind); Excerpts from Clarinet Concerto, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (soloist Wesley Lewis).
The musicians
Conductor Charl Van der Merwe began his musical career in Sunday school at the New Apostolic Church and has been involved with professional orchestral performance since 2005. Van der Merwe is currently the principal bassoon player for the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra and has been the musical director and conductor of the Durban City Orchestra since 2021.
Flautist, Tony Hind, was a full-time musician with the Durban Symphony Orchestra for four years after finishing matric and returned in 2015 after living overseas. He describes his seat as having been ‘kept warm’ for him during his 13-year absence.
Clarinet player Wesley Lewis is a Kearsney College old boy and was a member of the KZN Youth Wind Band for 15 years. Lewis is learning to play the bagpipes, teaches at numerous Durban schools and repairs musical instruments.
Are you interested in joining the Durban City Orchestra?
The orchestra is one of the oldest orchestras in the country, originating in 1888. The musicians are independent professionals, active and retired music teachers, university music students, and part-time musicians who participate voluntarily for the love of music and of performing together. The amateur orchestra welcomes prospective new members and asks for musicians who would like to join to contact them about arranging an audition.
