Two conductors, two Durban orchestras, and both coming out of the same Cape Town church recorder group. For both their first recording was in the church choir singing Christmas carols.
The city is blessed to have the talents of Chad Hendricks, resident conductor of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra and Charl van der Merwe, principal bassoonist in the KZNPO and leader of the Durban City Orchestra.
The Independent on Saturday caught up with the two friends ahead of the start of the orchestra’s new season next week. And yes, despite them leading different orchestras, there’s no animosity. When I suggest it’s a battle of the batons, they both laugh and then shake their head.
It was actually Hendricks who persuaded van der Merwe to make the move to Durban when the principal bassoon seat was on offer, a move he has never regretted. And vice versa last year when Lyk Temming retired as the resident conductor.
Hendricks, who studied trumpet, relished the move to Durban last November. “It’s a great change of pace and the city has a different feel. It suits my style. It also has great potential and so many untapped projects. I feel I can contribute and make an impact.”
For both, their love of music started at Cape Town’s New Apostolic Church on the Cape Flats. For Hendricks it was a case of being blessed with opportunities.
“It all started as kids in the mass recorder programme. There were many congregations that were part of the church, but each had its own choir and orchestra. From recorder you would progress to other instruments, then you could try out for the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. It was only in high school I was comfortable with the idea of music as a career and went to UCT,” he says.
Van der Merwe remembers singing in Sunday School “with our red hats like little Christmas elves”. The Sunday School produced an album, Christmas in Cape Town, which went on to be a community hit. He sang in the first album, Hendricks, some six years younger, in the second.
“Our choirs are the best,” Van der Merwe said. “But it all started in church learning the recorder. If it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t be here today.”
He learnt to play piano and then the flute. “My brother was given a flute, but you know the flute is sometimes thought of as a little fem, and he was the butchest boy in the class. So I tried it, and it’s similar to the recorder, and easy to play. Then another friend introduced me to the bassoon, and I was hooked on that sound.”
But he couldn’t afford the instrument. “I borrowed one from the Beau Soleil Music Centre until my dad could buy me one,” he says. He still has it, using it for teaching at the Durban Music School.
Hendricks likens being part of an orchestra to being part of a family. But having played in professional orchestras around the country, leading one is different. “It’s not just about maintaining musical standards, but you need to be open to musicians’ lives. You also need to make the audience feel welcome and engaged. “
“We’ve enjoyed working with him,” van der Merwe says. “He’s a new person with a vibrant energy and a fresh look at things. I hope he stays,” he jokes.
Hendricks also wants to engage with new audiences. “We have a lot of beautiful grey-haired people who love and understand the music. But we need to pass that understanding on to younger audiences, get it across to the new generation. There’s a lot of potential in that with popular and accessible stuff.
Van der Merwe points to the Star Wars Imperial March that young musicians are going to play with professionals on Father’s Day tomorrow at the Let’s Band Together Concert at Durban Girls College. (See Page 4). Van der Merwe is thinking along similar lines with his Durban City Orchestra, which is funded by the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra. “There’s a lot of opportunity to spread music making.”
Which quickly leads to their playlists, which Hendricks says would surprise readers. “It’s anything from Mozart to Tupac,” he laughs.
He also enjoys the KZNPO’s schools outreach programme. “The amount of talent, the innate rhythm, innate musicality in those kids is amazing,” he says. “And music really is a great tool. It teaches discipline, teaches team work, and teaches creativity. You don’t have to be a professional musician to benefit from those guiding principles in life.”
Hendricks is also impressed with the potential and musical tradition in and around Durban.
The KZNPO is looking to put on small Sinfonia concerts at venues around the province. “They give a more intimate experience, and orchestra musicians can be soloists in smaller works. It’s part of taking music to the people.”
Initiatives like the Park and Ride buses are bringing people to the main symphony season from Umhlanga, the Berea and the Highway area. (Tickets from Quicket).
The KZNPO starts its two-concert Winter Season this week with concerts at the Playhouse on Thursday June 19 and 26, both starting at 7pm. (Tickets from Quicket)
