Educación

From that illustrious background, my own life and that of my parents, has been contrastingly simple. My father was born in Eshowe of British and Dutch parents, and my mother was born in Durban from a Welsh father (I have a gold medal that he won for singing), and a mother of German Jewish back- ground. Neither of my parents were musicians but they had vowed to save for the purchase of a piano so that their children could have the opportunity to learn. My father played the drums - he was self- taught, in a jazz band and he was often away on Saturday evenings enjoying his music-making.

My two Dutch great aunts in Eshowe were both church organists but I never had the opportunity to hear them play. My Auntie Maisie (Cornelia Berendina Wantink) had a grand piano in her lounge and no one was allowed to touch it. The story is told that when I was about three years old she ob- served me tip-toeing up to the piano and gently depressing a key. She noticed the look of absolute bliss that came over my face as I listened to that note, and this convinced her that I was musical and that I should learn to play – but sadly, she did not live long enough to hear the fruits of my practising. As a child, I lived on the Bluff in Durban with my parents and younger sisters Felicity and Janet. My friend Maureen lived opposite us, and her mother was a singer – Gloria Tesoriere – who often used to sing with the then Durban Municipal Orchestra con- ducted by Edward Dunn. Maureen and I both at- tended the Holy Family Convent in Russell Street and we began piano lessons at the school but that did not last as we missed too many school classes. Then Maureen’s mother suggested that we go to her friend Mr Hollier who was a viola player in the orchestra. He taught at Cuthberts Buildings which was quite an art centre. I was rather terrified by my teacher and I obtained a low pass mark in my Trin- ity College Initial examination. Eventually, Mr Hollier suggested to my mother that maybe a woman

teacher would be better, because although I had talent, he was not the person to develop it.

On my way home from school one day, I noticed a house nearby with new occupants and a board in the garden saying : ‘Elizabeth Sivertson – Teacher of Pianoforte’. She was to be the answer to my dreams. This young and newly married teacher was perfect for me and within a year I played a concerto with the Durban Philharmonic Orchestra and so my career, at 10 years of age, was launched. For the following ten years I was taught and guided by Miss Sivertson and then she felt that I was ready to face the musical world on my own two feet and with my own ten fingers. In the meantime I had also studied the flute and recorder with Joseph Slater, and the organ with Errol Slatter.

Ivey Dickson was an Associated Board Music Exam- iner who toured South Africa in 1964. The South African Society of Music Teachers (SASMT) in Durban organised a function in her honour and I was invited to play. She was impressed and invited me to come to London and study with her. So the following year I had an intensive course with her at the Royal Academy of Music and also flute tuition with Norman Knight which she had also arranged.

My broadcasting career had begun with a ‘young South African’ programme playing both piano and flute solos. Charles Oxtabry, who was the Organiser of Music for the South African Broadcasting Corpo- ration (SABC) in Durban, felt that I was too advanced for the youth programme and he had the recording re-auditioned for the Artists’ List for which I was accepted. I really loved this form of performing but I still did not know that this was where my future career was to be.

As a child I had always enjoyed sight reading, and the exciting part of examinations was to see what

the examiner had chosen for me to read. I found that singers had begun asking me to accompany them at concerts and competitions, and I was al- ready accompanying my sister Janet (5) who was an oboist, recorder player and singer. I remember when I was almost 15 competing at the Natal Eisteddfod in a sight-reading class and the adjudicator wrote on my report: ‘I really hope that you are going to be an accompanist as you have all the skills.’ That was Nan Griffen from East London who had pre- dicted my future career. Sight reading is a vital part of accompaniment because so often you have very little time for preparation and must rely on your reading ability.

In 1969, Peter John Carter, who was Head of Music at the Natal Performing Arts Council (NAPAC), rang me and said that the SABC accompanist position in Johannesburg was becoming vacant and that I should audition for the post. With the help of Ronald Charles at the SABC in Durban, all was arranged and I finally auditioned. Surprisingly, I made it onto a short list of six pianists and had to present myself in Johannesburg for a final audition. This entailed the playing of solo works, sight reading, transposi- tion and prepared programmes with Jossie Boshoff (soprano) and Annie Kossman (violin). How I really loved this preparation realising that this was what I wanted to do with my musical life.

I was so bitterly disappointed when I was placed second to Sini van den Brom, and I returned home feeling as if the end of the world had finally come. To console myself, I decided that I would buy a grand piano. My first piano had been a Wurlitzer upright, graduating – on my teacher’s advice – to a Haegele, and then my choice of a Petrof. I ordered a Yamaha, and am still using that piano today loving its tone quality and action.

I no sooner had the piano than the SABC telephoned

and proposed that without any further testing and as a result of my Johannesburg audition, I be ap- pointed as the official accompanist in Durban as Constance Brothwood was retiring. What joy I felt – this was the job I had prayed for – it was now mine and I could remain in Durban. And so began my SABC career. I had eight wonderful years at the Old Fort Road Studios learning so much about broad- casting, recordings with so may artists, and forming a great piano duo with Ronald Charles - not only was he my SABC supervisor and colleague, but he became my friend and we spent may happy laugh- ter-filled hours whilst playing two-piano works. In 1979 I was transferred to Johannesburg as Sini van den Brom was retiring. So that had been God’s plan all along: eight years earlier I had been too young and inexperienced to cope successfully with the prime position, but through the training I had re- ceived in Durban, and the chance to learn more repertoire – I realise now – God had been groom- ing me for the tougher life in Johannesburg.

All in all I spent 27 years at the SABC having a wonderful musical life – I worked with the orches- tra under many famous conductors, and appeared on television on numerous occasions. I accompa- nied every instrument (from a piccolo to a tuba) and every voice, and played in chamber music en- sembles, and did solo organ and piano recordings winning two Artes Awards for the best performance in Serious Music on Radio playing Prokofiev’s Vi-

sions Fugitives and Hindemith’s Ludas Tonalis.

I joined the SABC as a pianist but I became a musi- cian. It was with tremendous sadness that I left due to their closing of the music departments through- out the country, and the eventual retrenchment of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and the remaining music staff.

Hennie Joubert, the then Director of Music Exami- nations, had asked me if I was interested in examin- ing. The assessment of performance had always fas- cinated me, so I agreed to some training and test- ing. After a trial period I was accepted as an exam- iner, and I have travelled to many parts of South Africa and Namibia doing this work which I love and enjoy. Apart from Grade and Licentiate examining I have also, by invitation, been on the panel of adju- dicators for the South African and Overseas Schol- arships, and was part of the screening jury for the 1996 Unisa International Piano Competition, as well as a member of the jury for the first Nederburg– Unisa National Piano Competitions.

I have accompanied at all the Unisa Singing and String Competitions working with exceptionally talented young musicians. In 1986, Marilyn Mims, the American soprano whom I accompanied, won the Second Prize and I believe that she is now sing- ing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1992, Tomas Varga, a Hungarian cellist I played for, also won the Second Prize and the SAMRO prize for the best rendering of a prescribed South African work. Another Hungarian, the soprano Marta Fers, who reached the semi finals in 1994, won the prize for the best performance of Lieder in the First Round. At the 2002 4th International String Competition, I accompanied the Chinese cellist Dong Yao who won the prize for the performance of a South Afri- can Composition, ‘I Can Hear a Swan Singing’ by Jaco van der Merwe.

These competitions are so inspiring and stimulat- ing and it has been a privilege to communicate musically with so many international artists.

I lead a simple life that is filled with music. I am a church organist, having played at the Bluff Method- ist Church, Umbilo Road Methodist Church, St Joseph’s Catholic Church and the Emmanuel Ca-

thedral in Durban, and since 1979 at St Bonafatius Deutschsprächize Katholisches Kirche in Honeydew. For 37 years I have shared my home and life with Pug dogs – my present adored companions being Oliver and Caleb. I also have two cats and I love working in the garden, growing my own vegetables and baking my own bread.

I thank God every day for His bounteous blessings and the gift of music He bestowed on me. &

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