Drakensberg Boys Choir

The school was founded in 1967 by John Tungay in Champagne Valley, near Winterton, and runs as a full boarding school of about 120 pupils where boys aged roughly nine to fifteen take a normal academic curriculum alongside intensive daily choral training. The choir has toured internationally for decades and has a substantial recording catalogue, and its standard is what makes the arrangement here worth knowing: on most Wednesdays during term the school gives a public concert in its own hall, open to anyone who books, at a modest ticket price. The programme mixes classical choral repertoire with African music, marimba, dance and popular arrangements, and it runs about ninety minutes. The setting adds to it - a 600-seat hall, built in 1995, in a valley under peaks over three thousand metres. Concerts do not run in school holidays or when the choir is touring, so checking the schedule before planning a visit around it is essential.

The main sights

• The Wednesday concert - a public performance during term, open to anyone booking.
• The 1967 school - a boarding school combining academics with daily choral training.
• The mixed programme - classical choral work alongside African music, marimba and dance.
• The valley hall - a purpose-built venue under the central Drakensberg peaks.

When to go

School terms, Wednesdays. Two hours. Check the schedule - no concerts in holidays or during tours.

What to expect

Concerts stop entirely during school holidays and international tours, which catches visitors out. Booking is needed for popular dates. The hall is in a valley twenty-five kilometres from the nearest town. It is a school first and a performance venue second.

Nearby

Champagne Valley resorts are around it; Monk's Cowl and the high berg are above.

Key facts