Drakensberg Boys Choir

Nestled at the foot of the Central Drakensberg mountain range near Winterton in KwaZulu-Natal, the Drakensberg Boys Choir School has been one of South Africa's most extraordinary musical institutions since its founding in 1967 by John Tungay. What began as a vision for combining rigorous academic education with world-class choral training in a Christian setting has grown, across nearly six decades, into one of the most recognised choral ensembles on the African continent and well beyond it.

The school typically enrols around 120 boys between the ages of nine and fifteen, selected through competitive audition from across the country. What they receive in return is an immersive musical education encompassing vocal technique, music theory and performance at the highest level, alongside their academic studies. The results have consistently spoken for themselves. Notable conductors throughout the school's history have included Johann van der Sandt, Botes Gresse, Christian Ashley-Botha, Rudolf de Beer and Juan Burgers, each contributing to the choir's evolving musical identity.

The choir's repertoire has never been constrained by a single tradition. Jazz, pop, African music and classical choral works have all featured in their performances, giving the ensemble a versatility that has served them well on the international stage. They have performed across the United States and Europe, and received one of the most distinguished invitations available to any choral group in the world, a performance at the Vatican City by Papal request. They have also collaborated with South Korean artist Lee Moon-se, reflecting a genuinely global reach.

The school's alumni list is a remarkable document. The Bala Brothers, Zwai, Phelo and Loyiso, passed through its doors in the 1980s and 1990s - Zwai becoming the first Black student admitted to the school in 1988, six years before the end of apartheid. Jean-Philip Grobler went on to international success as indie electronic artist St Lucia. Ralph Schmidt became director of the Mzansi Youth Choir. And Swazi musician Manana won a Grammy Award for his contributions to Burna Boy's album Twice as Tall.

Albums including Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere and Celebrating 45 Years document a rich recorded legacy, alongside more recent releases such as Stimela and Heat Waves that demonstrate the choir's continued willingness to embrace contemporary sounds. The 600-seat auditorium constructed on campus in 1995 hosts weekly concerts for the local community, a reminder that for all its international acclaim, the Drakensberg Boys Choir remains rooted in the landscape and community that gave it life.