In 1998, ELIZABETH FRANDSEN was invited to attend a two-year course at the International Opera Studio in Zurich, after receiving a Diploma in Opera from the University of the Witwatersrand. Elizabeth has performed as a soloist in various Opera, Oratorio and Choral works here and overseas including Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Mimi in La Bohème and Violetta in La Traviata. In 2004 she was Madame Giry in The Phantom of the Operaand then toured to Nuremberg and Oslo with the Cape Town Opera production of Showboat.

GIVEN NKOSI was born in Witbank and enrolled at the SA College of Music in Cape Town for a Performer’s Diploma in Opera under the direction of Professor Angelo Gobbato. He has been involved in productions of Nabucco, Le Damnation de Faust, Amahl and the Night Visitors. He appeared as soloist with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra during the 2004 Youth Music Festival and performed with the Tirisano National Youth Choir at the Choir Olympics in Bremen. Last year he was invited to go to Bulgaria for a master class with Raina Kabaivanska.  During the same year, he was chosen as one of the 100 successful men in South Africa.

MUSAWENKOSI NGQUNGWANA  was born in Port Elizabeth and matriculated at Khwezi Lomso Comprehensive School. His singing started at church and intermediate school choirs at the age of 7 and developed further when at 16 he joined the Viola Men’s Choir then directed by Makhaya Msizi, Mr. Msizi. also coached him on his necessary solo repertory. In 2004 he formed the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Opera Ensemble, which is now directed by the pianist, Mr. Kobus Buys.

The New Apostolic Church Choir is one of the regional choirs of the New Apostolic Church in the Cape, comprising singers from across the Peninsula. Music is an integral part of life and worship in the New Apostolic Church, and every one of its congregations has a choir of voluntary, amateur singers who sing at church services. Out of these choirs, regional choirs are formed for concert and recording purposes. NAC Cape has produced more than 20 CDs and a DVD featuring their choirs and orchestras.

Music repertoire in the NAC covers a wide range which includes classical sacred music, as well as music written by NAC composers. An on-going, large-scale music development programme exists in the church, covering choirs, orchestras, organists and children’s music. This programme has made a significant contribution to the cultural life of the broader community. The choir for Haydn’s Creation was trained and rehearsed by Raymond Abrahams, who received his choral conducting training in the New Apostolic Church. A part-time, amateur musician, he is one of many others being developed under the supervision of the NAC music director, Peter Lambert.NAC choirs rehearse at their local churches once a week. Concerts are presented at the NAC auditorium in Silvertown, an impressive concert venue with a seating capacity of 1600.