Cathedral Singers

The Cathedral Singers of St Andrew & St Michael, formerly incorporating the Odeion Choir, was founded by the Reverend Simon Aiken & Lance Phillip in 2009. The choir is now affiliated to Bloemfontein Anglican Cathedral, and consists mainly of students and staff of the University of the Free State.

The Choir’s membership now stands at about 24 singers. Our main duty is liturgical; the Choir sings the Office of Choral Evensong on most Sundays during term. This regular and rigorous programme provides an opportunity for members (many of them future professional musicians) to learn to cope with the demands of regular choral performance. Highlights have included Byrd’s Mass for four voices, Mozart’s Missa brevis settings in D and C (‘Spatzenmesse’) and the Missa ad honorem sanctissimae Trinitatis, Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri, excerpts from Monteverdi’s Vespers, Lotti’s Missa brevis in D minor, Rutter’s Feel the Spirit, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Vierne’s Messe solennelle, requiem settings by Palestrina, Mozart & Fauré, as well as major secular works such as Carl Orff’s Carmina burana. The Cathedral Singers regularly collaborates with cantando@bloem, the Free State Symphony Orchestra and the Odeion Camerata. Past guest conductors include Louis van der Watt, Richard Cock, Branko Starck, Gordon Appleton, Geoffey Webber, Lindsey Grey & Alexander Fokkens.

At present, the Director of Music is Lance Phillip, the Assistant Director is Werner Stander, and the organists are Lourie Coetzee and Maretha Krige. The current membership includes singers from Namibia, Germany, Lesotho, Australia, the USA as well as South Africa.