A life for a lifetime: Hendrik D. Loock and the Tygerberg Children’s Choir

The Tygerberg Children’s Choir (TCC) is rooted in South Africa’s Afrikaner culture. Its transition to a multicultural children’s choir, within drastically changed political dispensation, furnished rich subject for historiographic choir identity investigation. From its establishment 1972 until 2019, Hendrik D. Loock was the conductor. Since then has continued under Karina Erasmus. TCC one of oldest existing mixed-gender regional choirs country, directed by longest serving conductor such choir. choir’s and Loock’s forty-seven-year directorship are interwoven, his work perceived as significant cultural contribution. With late wife Theresa (TCC accompanist, choral trainer, arranger music thirty-two years), confirmed uniquely familial leadership profile amongst choirs. This qualitative biographic report about life contribution merges thematically analysed data from TCC’s archival collection, non-participant observations, face-to-face interviews, contextual information.