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Neil Bennett
Born in 1964 and educated in Springs, Neil's profound musical ability
manifested itself at the age of three, when he conducted a recording
of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol in the Springs Town Hall.
Piano studies began at age seven, initially with concert pianist Steven
van Staden in Springs and  continued at Wits University in 1984, under
the tutelage of Peggy Haddon. During this time Neil sang in the Wits
Choir and began studying choral arranging.
Two years of military service followed, at 7 South African Infantry in Phalaborwa, where he
established a successful dance band, as well as a choir at the local Methodist Church.
Further studies through Trinity College in London earned Neil a Performer's Licentiate
Diploma and the Queen's Award for Excellence in Keyboard Studies in 1996. He has been
involved in many popular musicals across Gauteng, including nine of Gilbert and Sullivan's
comic operas, for which he has a special affinity.
In addition to being an accomplished keyboardist, arranger and concert artist, Neil has been
a devoted organist in the Methodist Church since 1984. From 1998 to 2006, he was the
music teacher and choirmaster at
IR Griffith Primary School in Blairgowrie, and since 2003 has directed
music for Northcliff High School's acclaimed stage productions, including The Mikado, Me
and My Girl, The Pirates of Penzance, Annie, Crazy for You, Hello Dolly and Anything Goes.
Neil is currently employed in Sales and Technical Support at Lovemore Music Centre, Illovo,
Johannesburg.
Neil was appointed as the Musical Director of The Welsh Male Voice Choir of South Africa
in 2004. His leisure activities include model railways, photography, military figure painting,
calligraphy and cake decorating.
Neil is currently preparing for the Fellowship Diploma in Pianoforte through Trinity College,
London.
Denise Roderick
Born in Johannesburg, Denise attained her Bachelor of
Music degree at the Potchefstroom University immediately
followed by a Higher Education Diploma. Following
lecturing in music at the  Rustenburg Technicon from 1980 to
1981 she went on to teach at Hoërskool die Kruin, the Art, Ballet,
Drama and Music School, between 1983 and 1992, serving as Head
of the Music Department from 1985.
Appointed as Chief Examiner to the Transvaal Education Department in 1989 in the subject
of Music Performance, she was further responsible for setting Matriculation examinations
as well as performing as an examiner for the subject Music HG.
Having joined the Welsh Male Voice Choir of South Africa as Assistant Accompanist
in 1995 and toured with the choir to Germany, England and North Wales, Denise was
appointed official accompanist in 1997. She accompanied the choir on its tour of the
United Kingdom in 2000, where it performed at the Millennium Festival of Male Voice
Choirs at the Royal Albert Hall (Festival of A Thousand Voices) and thereafter in South
Wales.
In recognition of Denise’s valued contribution to the Choir, she was accorded Honorary
Life Membership in 2004.
Denise continues to teach music at Wendywood Primary School in Johannesburg as she
has done for many years.
Don van der Merwe
Don is a retired banker, having worked at First National Bank of South Africa Ltd., for 37 years and then consulting and training for a further 7 years to the financial industry. He attended Stutterheim High School and took music for 8 years from the age of 7 at St. Dominic’s Convent in Stutterheim  before becoming a scholar and boarder at Dale College in King William’s Town in 1961. He started singing in church choirs in Grahamstown in 1971 and, after being transferred to Johannesburg in 1973, sang in and, from 1978, trained and conducted a number of church choirs in The Roodepoort and Johannesburg area. He joined the choir in 1997 as a 2nd Bass and from 2000 assisted in conducting the choir for a number of concerts in the absence of the Musical Director before being appointed Assistant Musical Director of the choir in 2004. In recognition of his services to the choir he was awarded Life Membership of the choir in July 2007. He resigned as Assistant Musical Director in July 2007 when he moved to the Bela Bela (Warmbaths) district. He was subsequently re-appointed Assistant Musical Director in July 2009 and travels to Johannesburg twice a month to conduct rehearsals and also conducts a number of the choir’s concerts. He is married to Avis, and they have 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren.
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