Bernadette’s protégés

- Ailsa Tudhope -

During March Bergwater Wineries and Prince Albert welcomed back opera singer Bernadette ter Heyne, this time accompanied by her husband Jan, on another flying visit from Holland. She spent the week rushing between Hoërskool Zwartberg, Prince Albert Primêr and St John’s Church, giving small groups of children singing lessons.

Caleb Swanepoel of Albert College gave his impression of the training:

“Each time we did a series of warm-up exercises, to prepare our voices for singing. One exercise was ‘La-ooh.’ Bernadette played a note, we sounded it and then she explained in a very vivid way how we should think: ‘Imagine ripples in a pool, getting bigger and bigger. In the centre is a deep hole – imagine your voice going down.’ She was very friendly and gave us lots of advice. She actually held our jaws and pushed our mouths in to help us get the correct sound.

It is a pity that some of the children didn’t arrive on time for practices and at least five didn’t come to perform in the concert. At one stage Bernadette even thought she was going to have to cancel the concert, which would have been awful.”

Bernadette het aan elke kind ‘n lied gegee om te sing, terwyl ander self hulle lied gekies het.

Elkeen moes eers die storie van die lied verstaan en aan Bernadette verduidelik voordat hulle die lied leer sing het. Op hierdie manier het Bernadette hulle gehelp om die storie goed oor te dra terwyl hulle sing.

Saterdag, 7 Maart, het almal lank voor die tyd vir die konsert by St John Kerk bymekaargekom. Die kinders het in die tuin joga-oefeninge gedoen om te ontspan en hulle asemhaling te reguleer. Bernadette het hulle aan-gemoedig om nie te haastig te wees nie, en mees belangrik, om hulself te GENIET. Hulle moes as ’n span saamwerk: terwyl een kind sing moes die ander hom of haar ondersteun.

Die kinders het almal baie mooi gesing. Die gehoor was dadelik bewus van al die harde werk wat die kinders ingesit het. Dit kon nie ‘n maklike taak gewees het om die wenners te kies nie. Veels geluk aan Marshaline en Caleb, wat gesamentlik die eerste pryse gekry het, in die tweede plek was Andrew en Rebekah en Waldon en Hildegarde het die derde plek behaal.

Bernadette has given all the children voice exercises to practice which will help them prepare for her next visit. Thank you Bernadette for the energy and enthusiasm you pour into encouraging our children to, as you said: “take these little seeds and grow them into large flowers!” Their growing self-confidence and obvious enjoyment must be a great delight to you.

Thanks also to St John’s Chapelry for the use of the church for practices and the concert.