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Uncle Tony had a very beautiful and bright tenor voice. And he was always so dapper! I remember how mischievously he and my dad used to perform the song "My wife was on a diet", and have the audience in stitches. I really use to enjoy going to the Choristers concerts back in the day.

My recollections of the Peninsula Choristers goes back as far as I can remember to when I was 2 or 3 years old in the early 70s. I would attend concerts with my mom, sitting on her lap, with my ponytails and ribbons. I was so proud to see my dad singing on stage with the men in black suits and bowties. I loved all their songs which I hummed along to during the concerts, learning all the words at an early age at many concerts. I treasured the Teddy bear I called “Wilfy”, given to me by Mr Wilfred van Blerk.  Later as a teenager, when they practiced every Monday evening in our lounge, my sister and I would be stuck in our rooms with no TV, forced to read or “study”. I recall my dad doing repetition of the parts on Mondays and other days of the week, and then unison repetition till it was as perfect as he wanted it to be. 

I especially enjoyed “Yellow Bird”, “Morte Christe”, “Stouthearted men” were favourites. I loved listening to the deep bass of Mr Voges in “Old Man River”, “If I can help Somebody” and "In the Gloaming", it gave me goosebumps when I heard it after many years on a recording. At concerts where he sang duets with Robbie Green, I always laughed at the “Diet Song” despite knowing what the lines would be and loved to watch my dad and his brother Gus sing” Violetta”, blending perfectly as only tenor brothers could.

My father Tony Herman was a member, Secretary and conductor during his 20 or so years in the choir. He loved music, the old Irish melodies from his youth, the Gilbert and Sullivan melodies he sang at school plays with his brothers, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin golden oldies, to name a few.

He wasn’t formally trained in music except for the lessons at school but he could play a few bars of Moonlight Sonata, could sight read music and had a good pitch and sense of rhythm. He grew up with five brothers who could also sing and Bernard who became a concert pianist in Melbourne, Australia. He was a stickler for diction and precise endings ... and showing up for practice. I would sometimes hear him preaching to the converted when there was a poor turnout at practices - I pretended I didn’t hear.

The beauty of the Choristers sound lay in the pure voices blending superbly, and delivering wonderful acapella songs, as well as resounding and stirring hymns, despite the few members.  

In recent years, my dad told me at a family dinner about a time when he was a young man, and the Choristers had a concert in Wynberg town hall. He had to take a train to get there and arrived late. The choir was on stage at the time, and he stood at the back for the first song, waiting for a gap to join them. He heard them for the first time as an “audience” member. He said they sounded so good, and he had not really known it as he was singing and could never really appreciate the overall sound. Have was so impressed and so very proud to be part of that amazing sound.

When one of the pianist's left, maybe Petal, my mom took over as pianist. She had completed matric with music and was up for the challenge. So not only Mondays I heard the choir music but also during the week when mom would practice her music. She was also an organist at the Holy Redeemer Catholic church for the children's Masses, so there was a lot of piano practicing going on at our house. I vaguely recall I would need to sit in as official “page tuner” for the longer pieces of music for Choristers and the church organ playing. 

The Choristers had so many guest artists they could call on for concerts and fundraisers – every concert showcased wonderful talent. From Sopranos like May Abrahamse and soloists like Vera, Freda, to Solly Patience, amazing musical saw. I was always so amazed anyone could play such a dangerous tool and bend it all over the place! All vividly recall his shaking leg to get the vibrato going during his pieces.  Other great memories were of the Harvard Violin group from Lansdown under Mrs Smith also playing- my late sister Chantal joined as a youngster and lo and behold when they needed a pianist, my mom stepped in to help them too, so there was a double family feature on some programmes. Another event they sang at that lives in my memory, was St Anthony's 75th anniversary Cultural Evening. The Choristers performed with my dad conducting, Mark Adams (ex-pupil) and his sister sang a duet, Johaar Mosaval dance group, Herman-brothers duet, my cousin Desireé McKie (ex-pupil) performed an organ solo - and Heathfield High orchestra played, accompanied by Mrs Elaine Green with soloist Lana Hall. A phenomenal evening!

I was privileged to be performing in Festivals with the Peninsula Choristers when I was part of the Immaculata Ladies Choir, under the conductorship of Mrs Marjorie Goosen. I too found myself making music, in the Holy Redeemer Folk Liturgy Group, singing, playing a bit of guitar and percussion, to carry on the musical legacy in my own way. With my sister going into acting and dancing locally and overseas, in shows such as “Rent”, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”, and “Little Shop of Horrors”, my father was very proud that a love for music was his legacy for his children. 

When the choir disbanded, I was extremely saddened for the members and my parents, as I knew how deep the roots went. Tony still continued to be involved in choral music, and I recall my dad singing duets at events with May Abrahamse and duets with my uncle Gus at concerts for the aged. For many years he was also part of the Holy Redeemer Catholic church choir, a small stalwart group of ladies and gents who sang at morning mass and Chrismas masses, sharing a glass of sherry with the priests after Midnight Mass. Often he would be called upon to sing at weddings and many heard his rendition of the “Ave Maria” sung from the choir loft at Holy Redeemer.

He continued to do choral work with the Cape Town Welsh choir and had a long term of 25 years membership. A memorable opportunity was when he travelled to London Royal Albert Hall to participate in a “Night of 1000 voices” with the Welsh choirs and our family in tow. 

He was over 80 years old at the time he had a  stroke, which ended his singing career, and was really heartbreaking for him. I remember him being invited to the Christmas parties of the Cape Welsh Choir, where he quietly shed a tear, when he heard them singing some old choir favourites he enjoyed in Welsh. But he still tried to sign along and was so appreciative of the invitation and night out with a beer, cake (and a caregiver).

The Peninsula Choristers will forever be in my heart, the music forever in my DNA and etched into the memories of my childhood. For my musical family I can truly say that “their living was not in vain” as they brought joy to so many during their lifetime.

Poem written for the Choristers 21^st Anniversary by Adam Small: