Chrisna Smit, Another Prince Albert Gem!

- Peter McEwan -

Her eyes could barely reach the keys of a piano and her little fingers could not span the notes when she first took pre-school music appreciation. A year and a half later at age three she took piano lessons under the watchful eyes of Mrs Henna Swart in Warden.

Chrisna furthered her piano studies with Mrs Catherine Struthers at the University in Bloemfontein. The Free State Musicon selected her to play wood wind instruments and she took clarinet lessons under a Mr Osmond. Mr Heinrich Armer, a lecturer at the university selected her as one of his pupils, she completed her music degree with the clarinet as her main instrument and in later years she was appointed principal clarinettist of the national chamber Orchestra.

After a rewarding year with the Arts Council of North West in Mmabatho, Chrisna felt that she should return to her first love which was teaching, and applied for the music post at Hoërskool Zwartberg. Fortunately for us, she met and married Stefan Smit, a born and bred Prince Alberter. They have been married for nine years and have two lovely children.

How did I first meet this highly accomplished musician and charming person? Well, it was a result of a chance meeting with our neighbour, ds. Chris Briers. We “bumped” into each other in Pastorie Street and got chatting. He invited my wife, Rosemary and I to come and look at his magnificent house. In one of the rooms I saw an old organ- type piano and this got us chatting about music. I told him that I was looking for a voice trainer and “begeleidster.” Without hesitation he went to the telephone and arranged a meeting.

A few days later I answered a knock on our front door and there she was! Very smartly dressed and groomed – I don’t know if she thought she was going to meet someone “LARNEY”, but I must say I was more impressed and even more so when she started to play on my old Bluthner piano. What a gem! I couldn’t believe how fortunate I was to find such an accomplished pianist in such a small dorp.

It was the beginning of a wonderful musical partnership between Chrisna and me. It has resulted in the participation in, and the production of, successful local shows using Prince Albert talent. Chrisna moves effortlessly from sophisticated classical music to more popular as in our Irish night on the 17th of March at 7pm in Gay’s Old Barn. The evening will include Irish jokes, sing-a-long and Irish history supported by song. Don’t forget to bring your own drinks. A light supper will be served.