Renowned choral experts from 28 different nations are going to evaluate the competition performances at the World Choir Games 2018 in Tshwane, South Africa. Time to learn more about them!

10 questions with Renette Bouwer (South Africa)

Renette Bouwer is the conductor University of Johannesburg (UJ) Choir and Afrikaans Hoër Meisies Pretoria (AHMP) Choir, working as a composer and arranger as well as an adjudicator and clinician. In 2012, Bouwer was honoured by the Afrikaans Taal en Kultuur Vereniging (ATKV) for her contribution towards choral singing in South Africa.

Who or what is your greatest inspiration in life?

Masaaki Suzuki - award-winning Japanese organist, harpsichordist and conductor, and the founder and musical director of the Bach Collegium Japan.

What would you be doing today, if you were not in choral music?

Psychologist/Sociologist

When did you last sing?

I sing all the time! I do solo performances and sing in small ensembles.

What is the best (and funniest) story to tell from your choral life?

When we worked on the Benedictus movement of a Mass, I needed to choir to adhere to the staccato’s on the word “Be-ne-dic-tus” and I said: “I want a SHORT dic!”

Which song never fails to move you?

Morten Lauridsen: Sure on the shining night.

With whom would you like to sing a duet once in your life?

Julia Lezhneva

What is the greatest piece of choral literature that has ever been written?

Bach B Minor Mass

Acting as adjudicator at choir competitions, what is your main focus of evaluation?

Intonation, sound, phrasing

What is your personal advice to choirs/conductors competing at the World Choir Games?

Get the ego’s out of the way and let the music talk.

What’s the most useless talent you have?

All talents are useful, however insignificant it might seem!