Cathedral of St Michael and St George
Makhanda

Videos

Videos of the Cathedral Choir unless otherwise stated.

2023

Sunday 21 May, Sung Eucharist

Ascension Day, 18 May

(Cathedral Consort)

  • Agnus Dei, Missa Secunda by Hans Leo Hassler

Sunday 14 May

At the Sung Eucharist:

At Choral Evensong (Cathedral Consort)

Sunday 23 April

At the Sung Eucharist:

Easter Carols, 23 April

(Cathedral Consort)

Easter Day, 9 April

At the Easter Vigil service:

Good Friday, 7 April

Palm Sunday, 2 April

St Patrick’s Evensong, 19 March

  • ‘The Deer’s Cry’ by Arvo Pärt, sung by the Cathedral Consort, conducted by Peter Black.

Lent 1, 26 February

George Herbert Evensong, 26 February

Cathedral Consort

Transfiguration Sunday, 19 February

Back to School Service, 5 February

  • Sizohamba naye (congregational)
  • ‘Awesome God‘ by Michael W Smith, arr. Virgil Matrass & Kutlwano Kepadisa. DSG & SAC choirs, Kwantu Choir, Cathedral Iimvumi with David Wynne Music School String Orchestra.

 

2022

27 November, Advent Carols

The Cathedral Consort directed by Kutlwano Kepadisa, recorded at an evening service of Advent Carols on Advent Sunday.

 

20 November

13 November, Choral Evensong for those who died in War

Cathedral Consort

23 October

31 July

3 July Festival Sung Eucharist

Cathedral Choir with members of the Makhanda Kwantu Choir, with Peter Black at the piano.

26 June Festival Sung Eucharist

Robert Ray’s ‘South African Mass’.

 

24 June Choral Evensong (Festival)

19 June

‘Soos ‘n Wildsbok‘, arr. Renette Bouwer (Cathedral Choir).

Corpus Christi, 16 June

Byrdsongs, directed by Simon Tibbs, sang movements from the Missa Aeterna Christi Munera by Palestrina.

Trinity Sunday, 12 June

The Sanctus from the Gospel Mass by Robert Ray (Cathedral Choir).

Ascension Day, 26 May

The Cathedral Choir singing ‘God is gone up with a merry noise‘ by Arthur Hutchings.

Sunday 22 May

The Cathedral Consort, recorded at Choral Evensong:

Sunday 15 May

  • ‘Most Glorious Lord of Life‘ by William Harris, sung by the Cathedral Choir directed by Kutlwano Kepadisa, with Bayanda Mthetho at the organ. Recorded at Sung Eucharist on the 5th Sunday of Easter.

Easter Carols, 1 May

On the evening of 1 May the Cathedral Consort led a service of Easter Carols in the Cathedral. Among the carols were:

  • ‘O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden‘, sung to the original German words, with original melody and harmonies by Hans Leo Hassler.
  • ‘This joyful Eastertide‘, words written by George Woodward in 1894, to the melody of an old Dutch Easter carol.
  • ‘Walking in a garden‘ , words by Hilary Greenwood, sung to the melody of the old French folksong ‘Au claire de la lune’.
  • ‘Now the green blade riseth‘, an Easter Carol by Canon John M C Crum (1872-1958), sung to an old French carol melody.

Easter Day, 17 April

The Exultet, sung by Precentor Kutlwano Kepadisa.

Good Friday, 15 April

The Cathedral Choir sings ‘Adoramus te, Christe’, the Antiphon for the Good Friday Liturgy. Music by Eric Barnum, adapted by the University of Johannesburg Choir. Recorded at the Good Friday liturgy, 15 April.

Maundy Thursday 14 April:

Palm Sunday, 10 April

‘A Palm Sunday Antiphon‘ by David Morgan. Cathedral Choir conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa, accompanied by Jonathan Hughes.

Ash Wednesday, 2 March

‘Hold us in Your Mercy’ the Penitential Litany, arranged by Garry Diagle. Precentor Kutlwano Kepadisa, with the Choir and congregation.

Sunday 27 February

The choir with new Probationers from Oatlands Primary School sing

Back to School Service, 6 February

‘Ukholo Lwami‘ sung by the Chamber Choir of DSG and St Andrew’s College.

 

2021

Sunday 7 November, All Souls’ Service

Excerpts from Mozart’s Requiem, sung by the Cathedral Consort, accompanied on the piano by John Jackson.

Patronal Festival 31 October

At Patronal Festival Eucharist:

  • Kyrie by Ambesa Cagwe, sung by the Choir
  • ‘You raise me up’ by Rolf Lovland, played on the violin by Tyreece Burger

At Festal Evensong:

 

Saturday 23 October Organ Recital

From ‘Suite Gothique’ by Léon Boëllmann:

Sunday 5 September

Cathedral Organ restored: selections. Jonathan Hughes at the organ. Kutlwano Kepadisa rehearsing the Iimvumi and probationer choristers.

 

Sunday 29 June: Our Children’s Service

Extracts from the choir, children and congregation, conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa, singing:

This little light of mine (Iimvumi, conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa).

 

Sunday 1 August

Obianuju Njoku, accompanied by Bayanda Mthetho, singing ‘Bless this house‘ words by Helen Taylor, music by May H Brahe. The occasion was the first Sung Eucharist in the Cathedral after a month of Level Four lockdown, during which all worship had to be online.

Sunday 27 June

‘Out of the depths have I called to you O Lord’: The first four verses of Psalm 130, sung by Bayanda Mthetho, accompanied on the adungu by Asakhe Cuntsulana. Recorded at a Sung Eucharist.

 

Trinity Sunday, 30 May

Extract from ‘Holy, holy, holy’ by Schubert, sung by Senior Organ Scholar Jonathan Hughes, accompanied on the piano by Junior Organ Scholar Bayanda Mthetho.

Fifth Sunday of Easter, 2 May

After the Gospel: ‘Halleluia!’ Members of the Makhanda Kwantu Choir conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa.

 

2020

Nine Lessons and Carols 20 December

The Cathedral Choir conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa.

‘Bogoroditse Djevo‘ by Arvo Pärt.

‘Yazalw’imvana‘ (The Lamb has been born),  a carol written by the Cathedral choristers in 2016.

Click on the picture to hear Kutlwano Kepadisa and Obianuju (Uju) Njoku sing ‘The Holy City’

After the re-opening of the Cathedral

1 November: All Souls’ Evening Eucharist. Listen to Jessica Lloyd-Jones singing the Pié Jesu from Andrew-John Bethke’s Requiem Mass, accompanied on the organ by Bayanda Mthetho.

25 October: First service with the Cathedral Junior Choristers (Iimvumi) directed by Kutlwano Kepadisa, including four Probationers from P J Olivier School and Victoria Girls High School. Listen to them singing

Three post-Easter monologues by Chris Mann

Chris wrote: After the crucifixion, many of the followers of Jesus appear to have been bewildered and depressed. Their leader had been put to death, their movement was in danger of being attacked by different factions in Jerusalem. Slowly, during the afterglow, the reality of what had happened began to filter through.

I’ve tried to express those mixed post-Easter feelings, akin I imagine to how many of us feel when buffeted by the rough, unending turbulence of contemporary life, in dramatized monologues, written in poetic form

Many thanks to the actors, the composer and supporting artists who put this together!

Please note the deliberate avoidance of visual images in the monologues. We did this so that the imagination of you the listener can respond to the spirituality of the spoken words more independently.

Original Music: © Keith Moss
Digital implementation: Julia Skeen

Click the links to download the YouTube videos.

Back to School Service 2020

The ad hoc ‘Back to School Choir’, trained by Assistant Director of Music Kutlwano Kepadisa, sang at the Back to School service on 2 February 2020. They were drawn from members of the nine schools which attended the service. Listen to them singing, conducted by the Cathedral Head Chorister, Nzulu Ndlwana, ‘Bawo, Thixo Somandla’.

 

2019

 

Organ recital in St Bartholomew’s

On Saturday evening, 23 November 2019, the Cathedral Director of Music at the time, Cameron Luke, gave a recital on the organ of St Bartholomew’s Church in Makhanda/ Grahamstown. Listen to him playing “Penguins’ Playtime” by Nigel Ogden.

National Arts Festival 2019

The Cathedral Choir, Director Cameron Luke, sang Haydn’s ‘Little Organ Mass’ at the first Sung Eucharist of the National Arts Festival on 30 June 2019. They were accompanied on the organ by former Cathedral Director of Music Christopher Cockburn. Listen to the Gloria.

St Michael’s Marimbas, directed by Asakhe Cuntsulana, gave two concerts in the Cathedral during the National Arts Festival 2019, as part of Spiritfest.

Makhanda Kwantu Choir

 

At their concert ‘Choral Extravaganza’ in the Cathedral during the 2019 National Arts Festival, the Makhanda Kwantu Choir directed by Kutlwano Kepadisa sang ‘The Word was God‘ by Rosephayne Powell. This is a short extract.

 

 

 

2018

Nine Lessons and Carols service 25 November

Bayanda Mthetho (aged 15) playing part of Bach’s Prelude No 5 in G Major, Bwv 557.

Cathedral Choir End of Year Concert

On Sunday 21 October the Choir conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa presented their End of Year Concert. Listen to the following excepts from their items:

Cathedral Choristers and Conductor on TV

An episode of ‘Slice of Light’, a religious programme shown on SABC2 Sunday 5 August.  This included short interviews with choir conductor Kutlwano Kepadisa, and two of the junior choir boys, Xolisa Foley and Junaid Douglas. Please note this was recorded before the National Arts Festival, and before the Kwantu Community Choir went to the World Choir Games and came back with a Silver award.

National Arts Festival 2018

The Cathedral Choir, conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa, singing Ukholo Lwami at the Festival Choral Evensong, 29 June 2018.

St Michael’s Marimbas in concert under Asakhe Cuntsulana.

At the first Festival Eucharist on 1 July 2018, Neo Motsatse played this lovely violin solo, ‘Little Girl‘ by Sibongile Khumalo arranged by JB Arthur, together with the Kwantu Choir conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa.

Selections from the final Festival Eucharist service in the Cathedral, 8 July 2018, with guest choir from Jesus College Cambridge.

2017

Cathedral Choir

Extracts from:

  • Bawo Wam (trad. arr. Kepadisa) conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa.
  • Ascendit Deus (anon) conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa.

National Arts Festival 2017

The St Michael’s Marimbas under Asakhe Cuntsulana, performing in the Cathedral during Spiritfest 2017.

 

Little Jazz Mass (Bob Chilcott): Extract from the Gloria, sung in the Cathedral during the National Arts Festival, 2 July. An invited group of jazz players and singers, conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa.

Bayanda Mthetho (organ)

A clip of Bayanda Mthetho (14) playing the Cathedral organ.

Farewell to Dr Andrew-John Bethke

Watch a video by Grocott’s Mail about how we said farewell to Dr Andrew-John Bethke, Cathedral Director of Music 2012-2017.

 

2016

Cathedral Choir

Dr Andrew-John Bethke was Cathedral Director of Music from mid-2012 until Easter 2016. The following videos show him conducting extracts from:

 

2019 Multi-media presentation: ‘Masithi Amen‘

Sarah James, a Rhodes University journalism student, has created a project titled ‘Masithi Amen’. This is a multimedia story on the Cathedral of St Michael and St George which was completed over approximately 6 weeks. It provides a rounded picture of our Grahamstown Cathedral community, including interviews and music as well as pictures and text. Do take the time to explore ‘Masithi Amen‘ – best enjoyed on a laptop or desktop computer. Unfortunately this link is broken.