Term 3
2025
One man, One team, One voice, One choir
Issue
#3
Term 3
2025
Issue
#3
One man, One team, One voice, One choir
7 Brain Benefits Of Singing
1. Boosts memory
Engages the hippocampus, which stores memories.
2. Improves focus
Forces your brain to stay in sync with rhythm + movement.
3. Strengthens neural connections
Enhances brain plasticity and coordination.
4. Reduces stress + anxiety
Releases endorphins and lowers cortisol.
5. Improves mood
Triggers dopamine and serotonin production.
6. Enhances motor skills
Activates both hemispheres of the brain.
7. Lowers dementia risk
One of the activities proven to protect aging brains.
Mila Gous
UPYC features in global peace Documentary
For the University of Pretoria Youth Choir (UPYC), being part of the documentary End War or Build Peace? (ARTE, 2025) It was an artistic opportunity and a profound privilege.
The film explores what it takes to move from years of conflict to reconciliation, weaving together stories from Colombia, South Africa and beyond. For the UPYC, the experience of contributing to this global conversation was unforgettable.
The day the film crew arrived in Pretoria was unlike any other. Bright lights, heavy cameras, and a team of filmmakers filled our rehearsal space. We, the choir, were so excited to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. The rehearsal was full of song, fun and focus.
The filmmakers captured more than melodies; they caught the spirit of a generation. UPYC’s singers represent South Africa’s “born-free” youth, a generation that carries the responsibility of honouring the struggles of our past while building bridges for our future. Standing before the cameras, we felt the hope of the possibility of a better South Africa.
For the choir, being included in End War or Build Peace? was a humbling reminder of the power of music to speak where words fail. Onti, the choir’s social media liaison, captured our philosophy simply: “We just sing, man.” As the documentary shows, our voices are not only instruments of music but also symbols of South Africa’s next chapter
Members achievements
Music
Ontha and Zander
This super Soprano and terrific Tenor got into the Stellenbosch University Choir.
Zanders schools sêr went through to finals for ATKV and ANIMATO.
Academic
Letago
She brags with academic honours for not the first but the second time.
Studies
Inga
Congratulations to Inga, who got accepted into UP to study Bachelor of Information Sciences in Multimedia.
Botshelo
2026 choir
As 2025 comes to an end, new beginnings are in order.
It’s finally that time again. Time for goodbyes and hellos. A time for tears, laughter and sucking life out of every moment so that it lasts longer. With the 2026 Choir auditions happening a lot of the choir members are anxious. Anxious of the new people, of losing friends and having a life without UPYC every Friday. It’s a very confusing moment to be in. Everyone has built memories with this year’s choir and now it’s coming to an end but instead of looking at it like that let’s look at it as a moment of opportunity and being thankful for everything.
See this as an opportunity to make new friends, get to know the people you’re currently friends with better but also a time to grow your skills and help someone new grow their skills and their passion for music and singing.
Take it as a learning curve to adapt and welcome with a warm heart. Take it as an opportunity to do better than you did last year, especially if this year wasn’t your best year.
Then let’s all be thankful for all the sisters and brothers we found in other choir members, for all the advice you have received, for the privilege to be a part of a choir that might not have existed 4 – 5 years ago. Be thankful for all the memories made and all the opportunities given for you to be your silly vocal self, while also getting to show off your skill and sharpening it.
We might be having auditions for the 2026 choir already but that doesn’t mean our journey is over yet.
Take this time to do your absolute best, learn your music, talk to someone new, greet everyone, hug people, forgive and just suck in these last 6 rehearsals, 1 dinner and our family performance. Learn to Carpe Diem every rehearsal and Carpe Noctem our last performances.
KB
The Last Dance
July 27th, a very cold Sunday Afternoon, we had our first performance in over a month. It was our 4th and final Cantus Festival. Unlike the other festivals we didn’t end the concert but kicked it off. Getting the chance to enjoy all the other choirs.
Tonight was a short night so shortly after PHSG Rhythmony, it was time for Afrikaanse Hoër Senior Koor to stand beneath the Musaion lights. UPYC’s very own, Jessica was on What a stellar stage for a second time tonight. What performance they delivered.
And finally, the last choir took the stage and let me tell you about this choir. Before they even sang, you could feel the energy change. The choir’s name? Akustika Chamber Singers. Now listen, UPYC has aura, in fact UPYC IS aura, but I was unaware of Akustikas game. Impressed is an understatement. These singers showcased a state-of-The-Art performance; everything was on point.
If I carry on about tonight’s festival, we’d be here all day, so I’ll leave it at that. What a way to wrap up the Cantus Festivals, short but MAJESTIC
Jonathan Stoltz
The power of kindness in UPYC
In a world that often feels rushed and demanding, kindness stands out as one of the simplest yet most powerful things we can share. It does not always come in grand gestures. Sometimes, it is found in the smallest moments.
In many ways, kindness is like the music of stillness: the music we cannot hear, but we can feel. It does not shout for attention, yet its presence shapes everything around it. Kindness can feel like a guiding light in a dark night and shine as brightly as a luminous night. It can speak volumes even when we are silent. And just like the rain, pula, it refreshes, nourishes, and gives life wherever it falls.
That is the true power of kindness. It strengthens both the one who gives it and the one who receives it. One small act can change the way someone sees themselves, and it can transform how they move forward.
Kindness is what makes UPYC more than just a choir. It is what turns rehearsals into safe spaces, auditions into opportunities for growth, and mistakes into stepping stones instead of setbacks. It is proof that when we lift each other up, we all rise together.
So let us continue to let kindness define us, not only in our music but also in our everyday lives. Because kindness, like our songs, is something that echoes far beyond the moment it is shared.
Abby
Altos: the harmony that holds the music together.
Being an alto in the University of Pretoria Youth Choir is both a challenge and a privilege. The alto voice often carries complex harmonies that are less obvious, yet they are essential to creating the choir’s sound. Holding these intricate lines requires focus, discipline, and teamwork, but it is also incredibly rewarding. There is a unique joy in blending seamlessly with others, knowing that the role may not always stand out but is absolutely vital to the choir as a whole.
The alto section itself is a community built on trust and connection. Hours of rehearsals and shared experiences create bonds that go beyond the music, forming friendships that make the demanding work worthwhile. Leadership within the section is built not only on guidance but also on mutual respect and encouragement, which are qualities that allow the group to grow together and support one another through challenges.
What makes UPYC remarkable is the way it opens doors and broadens horizons. Through tours, performances, and encounters with people from diverse backgrounds, choir members are exposed to far more than just music. These opportunities shape character as much as they develop musical ability, fostering growth, resilience, and a deeper appreciation for the unifying power of music.
To be an alto in UPYC is to embrace complexity, to find joy in harmony, and to recognise the strength of community. It is about more than singing notes on a page; it is about building something greater than oneself and carrying forward the values of friendship, excellence, and growth that define the choir. To be an alto is to be the quiet strength behind the choir’s voice.
Livhu
All the high places we can go!
Being a soprano in UPYC
When I first started my journey in UPYC, I had no idea what it would hold for me, until I became a soprano.
Being a soprano means my voice reaches the highest places. When I sing, it feels as though the clouds aren’t high enough to hold me. When I sing, I feel free. Even when there are notes I cannot reach, being a soprano reminds me that the sky truly is the limit!
The soprano section, not only have the voices of the angels above but have incomparable voices, ones that lead and have the power to make me ascend each time I sing with them. My voice and the voices around me block out everything and my heart fills with a joy I cannot describe.
To be a soprano is to be a voice that stands out from the crowd, a voice that sings the highest of notes and as tiny as it may be, is at its loudest when it sings. I feel like a star in the night sky, twinkling brightly with every other shining soprano. This feeling is one I will never let go of.
The castle in my heart.
By Lianie
Imagine a city filled with skyscrapers and factories. A city where people always seem to be in a rush to get somewhere, too busy to stand still for even a moment. A city where time stops for nobody.
In the middle of this city, towering above all the buildings and chaos, is a castle. A real fairytale castle, as majestic and glorious as you can dream. With rose gardens and fountains surrounding this magnificent palace. Rooms perfectly decorated for each function and party. Enough space for an endless number of residents and visitors.
But because of the rush the city people live in, few realize that they walk past this castle every single day of their lives. And yet the door is wide open for anyone to walk in whenever they please.
When you enter the castle time simply stops! Suddenly you breathe without having to run somewhere, you can think clearly without noise disturbing your peace and you can just be you. Between these walls you can enjoy life in abundance. Singing, dancing and laughing without a worry in your mind.
This is the true magic hidden in the center of life. Something you can find when you look beyond your normal routine. When you stop in your tracks and explore.
This is what UPYC means to me.
A place where I can go to enter a wonderland of joy.
Where I am allowed to think in colour and be authentic.
Where I am surrounded with people who care and love deeply.
UPYC has gilded my heart forever.
Within these walls my favourite memories are stored and kept safe. All the songs we sing captures the happiness my heart feels when I stand among my favourite people. Each hug has rewritten my heart and mind.
UPYC has gilded my heart forever.
I love you so much.
