Alumni Voices Choir Members

Sopranos
Anien Coetzee, Marli Muller, Christa Maree, Engela Pretorius, Suzanne Strauss, Alta Wewege.

Altos
Stephanie Fourie, Elphia Janse van Rensburg, Rozanne Pienaar, Mariana Swanepoel, Liezl van der Walt.

Tenors
Paul Bornman, Deon Ceronio, Nico de Villiers, Jannie de Wet, Kobus du Preez, JC van den Berg, Dirk Wolhuter.

Basses
Arnold du Toit, Albert de Wet, Jean-Pierre Fourie, Riaan Malan, Peet Spies, Pieter van der Linde.

The piano duo, Johan Cromhout and Brigitte Botha, also known as Flying Fingers, is Bloemfontein’s well-loved duo combination. This collaboration started in 1994 when they were colleagues at St Michael’s School for Girls.  Over the years and specifically under the guidance of the late Prof Japie Human they exploited the piano duo repertoire. Presently their repertoire includes the most popular works in this genre. 

Both pianists hold Master’s degrees in Music, cum laude, from the University of the Free State. Brigitte specialised in performance and Johan in musicology. Both musicians obtained licentiates in performance and teaching from UNISA and the ABRSM. Brigitte excels in chamber music and accompaniment whereas Johan is a well-known jazz pianist in South Africa and specialises in the accompaniment of singers. In 2013, Johan obtained his PhD in Musicology on the life and work of South African-born pianist and conductor Arnold Bosman. 

Choral  music and choir singing is her passion. The Free State Youth Choir and her studies at the Bloemfontein Teacher Training College played a major role in her growing interest in choral music. 
Her career as choir conductor started at JBM Hertzog High School, Eunice High School, and Sentraal High School. She joined the Department of Music at the University of the Free State as lecturer in Choral Directing and Choral Technique until the end of 2006.

Since 2010 she shared her experience in choral directing with the award winning EUNICE Vitae Cantamus Senior Choir as artistic director. She also founded the Eunice Junior Choir in 2016. She holds a diploma from the Bloemfonteinse Teachers Training College; BMus (UFS 1990); Advanced Diploma in Choral Directing (Cum Laude) (NMMU 2004) MMus (UFS 2010) 

In 2003 she founded Voices Incorporated, a student chamber choir. The choir merged with Alumni Chamber Choir in 2013 to become Alumni Voices consisting of mostly UFS alumni.  During May 2018 she was appointed to re-establish and conduct the new student choir of the University of the Free State.

She has attended numerous choir workshops: England (Herefordshire – 1995); Australia (Sydney WSCM 6th - 1996); USA (Minneapolis WSCM 4th - 2002); Spain (Barcelona 11th World Symposium for Choir Music - 2017); South Africa (Pretoria World Choir Games - 2018)

Productions by Alumni Voices

2013 – Joy to the World by Karl Jenkins

2014 – The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins

2015 – Gospel Mass by Robert Ray

2016 – Stella Natalis by Karl Jenkins

2017 – Messiah by Handel in collaboration with the OSM

2018 – Messiah by Handel in collaboration with FSSO

2019 - Petite messe solennelle by Rossini