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Niel van der Watt

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Occupation(s)
  
Composer, Teacher

Name
  
Niel der

Role
  
Composer


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Birth name
  
Gerhardus Daniel van der Watt

Born
  
December 28, 1962 (age 61) Pretoria, South Africa (
1962-12-28
)

Education
  
University of Pretoria, University of South Africa

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Niel van der Watt (born Gerhardus Daniel van der Watt, on 28 December 1962 in Pretoria) is a South African composer. Well known for his choral compositions, he has also established himself as a leading composer of chamber music.

Contents

Sonata i niel van der watt


Education

Born into a family of teachers, Niel attended high school in Pietersburg (now Polokwane) in South Africa. After matriculating in 1980 he studied at the University of Pretoria, where he attained the BA Ed(Mus), BMus(Hons) cum laude and an MMus in Composition.

In 1997 he completed his Doctorate in Musicology at the University of South Africa with a doctoral dissertation on the life and works of the British composer Gerald Finzi.

Career

After his military service in the old South African Defence Force, he joined the staff of Pretoria Boys High School, a prominent South African public school, where he is currently head of the Music Department and conductor of both the orchestra and Dixie Band. While he is a full-time teacher, he dedicates much of his time to composition. Van der Watt has also arranged a significant amount of traditional African music for choir as well as setting leading Afrikaans poetry to music, including the works of Antjie Krog and N.P. van Wyk Louw.[1]

Influences

While van der Watt's early works show the influence of late romanticists like Rachmaninoff and Fauré, his mastery of harmony and counterpoint reveals a deep understanding of and reverence for the great master Johann Sebastian Bach. This, offset by a keen appreciation for jazz, rock and traditional African music, has made his oeuvre especially distinctive. A key work illustrating this is the De-Commercialised American Christ's Mass (1995), which employs variations on popular Christmas carols to form a witty yet reverent incarnation of the Roman Catholic Low Mass.

Trivia

  • Van der Watt originally joined the staff of Pretoria Boys High School as an English teacher.
  • Although he is a Protestant, he has composed a large amount of Roman Catholic liturgical music, including two Masses and a Requiem.
  • He is an avid fan of the Beatles, Billy Joel and ABBA as far as popular music is concerned and is known for his dislike of Beethoven.
  • In 2008 he wanted to prove to Pretoria Boys High School's Symphony orchestra that he did not dislike Beethoven at all and arranged Beethoven's 2nd movement of the Pathethique Sonata for the orchestra.
  • His works have been performed in places as far flung as Russia, Réunion and Hong Kong.
  • He considers himself to be a poly-stylist.

    • Select List of Works

    Secular Choral Works

    Ai, meisie, meisie; SAB

    Alleen; girls chorus

    As good as new; orchestra; SATB

    Religious Choral Works

    A De-commercialised American Christ’s Mass (1995)

    i) Kyrie: Amazing Grace

    ii) Gloria: Do you hear what I hear?

    iii) Sanctus: White Christmas.

    iv) Benedictus: Santa Claus is Coming To Town

    v) Agnus Dei: Little Altar Boy

    Traditional Choral Works

    African Dawn (1997)

    i) Boroko; girls chorus

    ii) Ka Mehla; girls chorus

    iii) Thobela morena; girls chorus

    Works for Soloists (Vocal)

    Benediction; voice and piano (1989)

    Bitterbessie dagbreek; voice and piano

    Die son sal weer skyn; voice and piano

    Dinah Lee (1999); voice, piano, alto saxophone and double bass

    Dis my plek (1985); voice and piano

    Drup drup druppeltjies (1980); voice and piano;

    Dust of snow (1997); voice and piano

    Fides veritas labor (1990); voice and piano

    Instrumental Works

    Trio pour mam’selle leger e’stier; orchestra, flute, clarinet, piano

    African Dawn (1997); orchestra

    African Reflection (1994); orchestra

    Afrika kerslied (1996); alto saxophone and piano

    Aquarelle (1984); piano

    Boabab (1988); orchestra

    Con'Scertino (1992/1994); viola and piano

    In June 1995 African songbook for mixed choir was published. It was written in co-operation with the composer Johann van der Sandt.

    References

    Niel van der Watt Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA