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VOX 2025/09 - Two sparkling, folk-inspired musical adventures!
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Have you ever longed to wander the old byways of Advent and Christmas, back to the rustic folk melodies and tales that shaped the carols we cherish today...?
On Friday 5 December, St Andrew's Presbyterian Church will be transformed into the setting for a globetrotting musical journey that follows a traveller's meanderings through a trove of familiar and half-forgotten songs of the season. As the stars emerge and the scent of pine welcomes you into the warmth, you will be handed a map that charts our minstrel's path—one that winds through lands, languages and carols as diverse as In dulci jubilo, Ríu, ríu, chíu, Maria durch ein Dornwald ging, What Child Is This?, I wonder as I wander and The Carol of the Bells.
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Friday 5 December 2025 at 8 PM for 8:30 PM
St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, De Waterkant
Bookings via Quicket (R280/R250)
This shared celebration marks the culmination of VOX's tenth anniversary. Arrive half an hour before the tale begins to raise a hearty glass of ale or cider with us! We are deeply grateful to Friends of Orchestral Music Cape Town for generously sponsoring the musicians who will bring this story to life.
Know someone who might love the folk flair of this performance? If so, hit the forward button to share the musical magic of this special season!
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VOX Cape Town + Here be Dragons: Lente Louw (mezzo-soprano), Jessica Daniels (recorder), Annien Shaw and Odile Burden (violins), Emile de Roubaix (viola, nyckelharpa), Graham du Plessis (cello), John Pringle (percussion), Uwe Grosser (theorbo), Jan-Hendrik Harley (viola, mandolin, arrangements, direction), John Woodland (direction)
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Here be Dragons is an early music ensemble specialising in historically-informed performance from the 15th to the 19th centuries.
Their name hails from the age of exploration and those tantalising warnings on old maps that cautioned travellers not to stray into the unknown...
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The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a cherished order of service that traces the story of salvation from the fall of humanity and the ancient promise of the Messiah to the radiant birth of Christ. Each December, VOX Cape Town offers its own local expression of this beloved tradition at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, continuing the legacy of Barry Smith and the St George's Singers.
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This year, the voices of VOX will be joined by early music ensemble Here be Dragons whose folk artistry will bring a fresh sparkle to the traditional readings and music of this much-loved service. This service forms the sacred counterpart to the programme presented two nights earlier on Friday 5 December—Follow That Star: A Traveller's Companion to Christmas—but here the music unfolds in a liturgy imbued with light, hope and promise.
After the service, linger with us over mince pies as we share the joy of the season together. Although entrance is free, booking is essential; you are warmly encouraged to make a donation to support the musicians.
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Sunday 7 December 2025 at 11 AM
St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, De Waterkant
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As the cherry-on-top to our anniversary year, we can't wait to join the musicians of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and the magnificent voices of Cape Town Opera for three nights of festive brilliance in St George's Cathedral! Surround yourself in the soaring sounds of Bach, Handel, Mozart, McLachlan and many others, replete with your favourite Christmas hymns, over three evenings, all at 6 PM: Wednesday 10th, Thursday 11th and Friday 12th December.
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We can't wait to meet all those who have laced up their walking shoes and will be joining us this Saturday (St Cecilia's Day) as we make musical history in the Mother City with our first-ever choral pilgrimage! 22 November is also the birthday of Benjamin Britten; at every stop along our route, we will sing his Hymn to St Cecilia—a monumental a cappella work that will take on new life in each architectural and acoustic setting.
Kindly note that both the Hiddingh and Youngblood legs of the pilgrimage are now FULLY subscribed; however, you are still welcome to join us at St Andrew's for the starting performance at 10 AM. No need to book—just turn up with open ears!
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Art begets art! We love celebrating interdisciplinarity and the complementarity of different art forms, and are thrilled with these drawings by Peter Hyslop inspired by our pop-up performance in St George's Cathedral for First Thursdays last month!
Chris Arnold, Samantha Ash, Matt Beck, Dane Bezuidenhout, Dirk Binneman, Peter Borchers, Suzanne Buchanan, Jan Buys, Suzie Cameron, Erin Cederlind, Casey Driver, Tessa Gawith, Christina Goodall, Wim Greyvenstein, Lia Hall, Amy Hoffenberg, Sally Hofmeyr, Aaron Juritz, Carelize Klopper, Fran Laenen, Xoli Mabombo-Benson, Jennifer Matlock, Sarah McArthur, Maryanne McLachlan, Kyle Paulssen, Renugan Raidoo, Kirsten Rowe, Evan Strauss, Louis Swart, Anna Telford, Bevan Timm, Stefan van der Westhuizen, Anthea van Wieringen, Jean Westwood, Karin-Marie Wilson
Founder and Artistic Director: John Woodland
Imanagineer: Kyle Paulssen
VOX Vice-Captain: Lia Hall
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