An afternoon of fire, faith, and timeless brilliance awaits as the Pretoria Bach Choir presents an unforgettable performance of Mozart’s Requiem, Coronation Mass and Piano Concerto No. 20, under the baton of Edwin Mitas.
The programme brings together three works from different chapters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s life. The Krönungsmesse (Coronation Mass), K. 317, composed in 1779, is a beloved setting of an Ordinary Mass.
The Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466, was composed in 1785. The Requiem in D minor, K. 626, composed in late 1791, is a Requiem Mass, a mass written for a deceased person.
Conductor Edwin Mitas leads the performance, joined by vocal soloists soprano Ilze van Staden, alto Megan Napier, tenor Chris Mostert and bass Hendré van Zyl, along with solo pianist Mienke Albertse.
The Pretoria Bach Choir (PBC) was established in 1962, with a mission to preserve, enjoy and share the cultural heritage of sacred choral music through the works of the great masters.
More than 50 voices will take part in this performance, accompanied by an orchestra of 31 professional instrumental artists.
Date & Time: 19 July 2026 at 15h00
Venue: ZK Matthews Great Hall (UNISA, Groenkloof, Pretoria)
Price: R250 per person (admission free for persons 13 years and under). Tickets are available on Quicket.
I had a chat with Edwin Mitas, the conductor and artistic director, ahead of the performance.
Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem are two of the most iconic works in the choral repertoire. How has the challenge of balancing the vibrant, celebratory nature of the Mass with the profound, sombre depths of the Requiem shaped your preparation for this specific concert?
“One of the greatest joys of this programme is that it showcases two very different periods in the life of Mozart. The Coronation Mass is filled with joy, praise and celebration, while the Requiem invites us into deep reflection on life, faith and eternity.”
“As a conductor, the challenge has been helping the choir move authentically between these emotional worlds. Rather than seeing them as opposites, I believe they complement one another beautifully, they remind us that celebration and reflection are both part of the human experience.”
With roughly 50 choir members, four soloists and 31 professional instrumentalists, the logistics alone are impressive. What has been the most rewarding aspect of bringing such a large, diverse group of artists together to create a single, unified sound?
“The most rewarding part is watching many individuals become one musical instrument. Every singer and instrumentalist brings unique experience and personality, but through rehearsal we begin to breathe together, enjoy music making and bringing the great music compositions to life as we work towards a shared artistic vision. That sense of unity is incredibly special and is one of the things I love most about choral music.”
In addition to the two major choral works, you are featuring a piano concerto. How does this instrumental centrepiece complement the vocal works, and what should the audience specifically listen for?
“As a prolific composer and virtuosic pianist, the concerto gives us a glimpse of his genius. Without words, the piano becomes the storyteller.”
“It provides a wonderful contrast between the two sacred choral works while maintaining the emotional depth of the programme.”
“Audiences should listen to the dialogue between the soloist and orchestra, especially the dramatic tension in the first movement and the lyrical beauty of the second. We are delighted to feature the outstanding young pianist Mienke Albertse in this performance.”
The ZK Matthews Great Hall has a distinct acoustic character. How does performing these works in this particular space change the way the choir interacts with the music?
“This is a world class auditorium designed and built for these programs. Every venue becomes part of the performance, and in this hall we have the opportunity to create a rich and immersive sound that serves the music exceptionally well.”
For someone attending their first classical choral concert, what is the one thing you hope they take away after hearing the final note of the Requiem?
“We hope they leave feeling inspired after the experience. Mozart’s music reminds us of our shared humanity, and ultimately prompts us to acknowledge and surrender to the One who determines our first and last breath, YAHWEH.”
More info about the Pretoria Bach Choir
The Pretoria Bach Choir (PBC) began in 1962, founded by conductor Bruno Peyer, who wanted to build a classical choral tradition in Pretoria.
He led the choir for the following 34 years, enriching Pretoria’s music scene, and died in January 1997, shortly before the choir’s 35th anniversary. Aart Bosua then took over as the choir’s second conductor, building further on the foundation Peyer had laid.
The choir’s name wasn’t meant to signal an exclusive focus on Bach’s music, but rather to reflect an ambition to match the standard of excellence his compositions represent. Its repertoire spans centuries and styles, from Gregorian chant and Renaissance motets through to major oratorios, Passion settings, and masses of varying scale.
Sacred music performed around religious festivals has always been central to its mission, with Easter concerts becoming a fixture of the Pretoria music calendar and Bach’s St John Passion its most frequently performed work.
Over the decades, The Pretoria Bach Choir built a reputation for bringing rarely performed works, and several South African premieres, to local audiences. These included Telemann’s St Luke Passion and St Matthew Passion, Reinhard Keiser’s St Mark Passion, CPE Bach’s Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu, and major Handel oratorios including Jephta and Saul.
Milestone anniversaries were marked with ambitious works too, among them Bach’s B Minor Mass for the 30th anniversary, paired with Haydn’s Die Schöpfung performed alongside the Transvaal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Johannesburg Philharmonic Choir. Mozart featured repeatedly across the choir’s history, with performances of his Requiem, Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Mass in C Minor, and Missae Breves.
The Pretoria Bach Choir also marked composer anniversaries with dedicated programmes, such as Schubert’s Mass No. 2 in G Major 150 years after his death, and works by Bruckner a century after his passing.
Its 1993 performance of Handel’s Messiah celebrated 250 years since that oratorio’s premiere. As audiences grew, the choir moved some performances to the State Theatre, while also appearing in the Johannesburg City Hall over the years.
Press reviews through the 1980s and 1990s consistently praised the choir’s polish and musical depth, and its 1996 South African premiere of Gounod’s Requiem turned out to be the last work performed under Peyer’s direction before his death.
Despite challenges like fluctuating membership and rising costs, the choir has continued its commitment to choral music as, in the words of JS Bach himself, something that connects earthly life to the divine.
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