Chorister Guests

Died 5 May 2025. A recipient of a Lifetime award from Capab and member of the Eoan Group. She sang duets with Anthony Herman and at events in Cape Town.

Since her brilliant opera debut in 1956 as Violetta, in the first local production of La Traviata at the Cape Town City Hall, soprano May Abrahamse has been a legend.  Born in Cape Town’s District Six, May started singing with the Eoan junior choir at the age of 14.  The name May Abrahamse has for decades been synonymous with the successes of the Eoan Opera Group as one of their greatest stars, in performances like La Bohéme and Madama Butterfly.  May was, however, only allowed to perform on the Nico Malan (now Artscape) opera stage in 1979.  As the longest serving principal soprano for the Eoan Group, May received a Kanna Award from the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, as well as a kykNET Fiësta Award in 2013, for her lifelong contribution to the arts. This documentary is part of a kykNET-series, Formidabele Vroue.

EOAN - Ode to the Opera Era / Ode aan die Opera-era

86 minutes (with English subtitles) 

This documentary film pays homage to the talent and passion of the legendary Eoan Group. District Six in Cape Town was the heartland of Eoan, a cultural organisation founded in 1933.  The Eoan singers and dancers were the first to perform grand opera across South Africa with great success - in spite of the discriminating apartheid legislation and divisive politics of the day. 

The bittersweet Eoan story is told by former 'groupers', some still singing at 70 or 80, with rare sound recordings and rich visual material from archives and private collections. Exceptionally gifted singers such as soprano May Abrahamse (Kanna and Fiësta awards), tenor Joseph Gabriels (Metropolitan Opera House, New York), Ruth Goodwin, Lionel Fourie, Sophia Andrews and Vera Gow (Presidential Order of Ikhamanga, Silver), as well as professors Virginia Davids and Sidwill Hartman from the SA College of Music – are a few of the Eoan divas and divos featured. 

The contribution of the Eoan Group to opera in South Africa from the1950’s to the1970’s is a cultural treasure that has not had the exposure and recognition it so richly deserves.

A must see for lovers of music and opera!

https://alwaysrushin.blogspot.com/2016/05/documentary-film-on-my-mom-may-abrahamse.html

Played Träumerei (Reverie Dreaming) by Schumann at many concerts. Also, some recall him playing a piece by “Benjamin Godard”- called Berceuse de Jocelyn Op. 100 Cello.

A lead member of the Harvard Violin group under Mrs Smith’s baton in Lansdowne. Other members were violinist Chantal Herman (late), youngest daughter of Anthony Herman (late), accompanied by his wife Sybil Herman (late) for a period.

A member: LOFOB and Violinist.

Compère for many concerts with jokes and humour which warmed the stage between performances.

A talented and versatile compère for many concerts. He collaborated with the choir and attended many concerts, hosting it smoothly with jokes and humour which warmed the stage between performances throughout the Cape Province.

Consisted mostly of past pupils who met to practice at Immaculata Senior School Hall in Wittebome, in the evening.

Choir mistress, Majorie Goosen, a petite and energetic lady, led the ladies in song for many years. Jean Hall, a Choir member, took over as Choir Conductor from Mrs Goosen.

The Choir sang at various events including choir festivals, the Spring Choir Festival in 1994, Eisteddfods and concerts, performing alongside The Peninsula Choristers.

Some of the members known were, Tania (Herman) April (daughter of the late Tony Herman), Dalene van Boom, Hester Hendricks, Erica Sinden-Gilbert, Madge (Davids) George, Debbie Rinquest, Rose Petersen, Gloria and Ester May (late), Mercia Miller, Mrs Dreyer, Alison Daniels., Brenda Matthews. Lana Isaacs, Charmaine Abrahams, Cathy Pike, Brenda Henry, Merle O’Ryan, Sylvia Petersen, Thaylia Tirumalay, Shiela Faulman, Elizabeth Spannenberg, Julia Dreyer, Myra Fredericks.

News article:

An Immaculata Ladies Choir member writes:

Listen to the Peninsula Choristers & Guests at the Malmesbury Concert recording (1993).

Coloratura Soprano soloist - a well-known singer in the community at the time. She was a teacher at Myhof Primary School in Lansdowne. She studied music on a part-time basis at UCT's College of Music and was actively engaged in singing thereafter. As an ex-artiste of the Eoan Group, she took leading roles in some of the operas produced by the group and also sung at various charity performances. She was also accepted at the Conservatoire of Music in Saltzburg, Austria for further training.

Died 8 September 2003. Albert was born on 15 November 1968 and was a pupil of St Anthony’s Primary School in Heathfield until 1981 and thereafter at Heathfield High School, where he was a member and leader of the wind band.

He played brass instruments including the Trombone and was a member of the Moravian Church Brass Band (BBSA). He performed with the Peninsula Choristers as part of the Heathfield High School Wind Band and Orchestra, and as Soloist on Trombone.

From 2000 to 2003 he directed the Stellenbosch Symphonic Winds and was a Lecturer in Brass at Stellenbosch University. Albert was a conductor, trombonist, pianist, composer and teacher (Hitzeroth 2014). His compositions & arrangements included: "Jesus is the One" and "We have come into this" (info attributed to D. Boonzaaier).

It was with great sadness we heard of his sudden tragic passing at 34 years old on 8 September 2003 with seven other players, which included his brother, on their way from a BBSA Festival in Namibia.