Dawid Engela
Encyclopedia
Dawid Sofius Engela was a South African broadcaster, composer
and musicologist.
, a suburb to the west of Johannesburg
, Transvaal
(now part of the province of Gauteng
). He was the only child of David Jakobus Engela (1895-1962) and Sophia Hendrina Fredrika Engela (1903-1991, née Buys). His father was a teacher in the service of the Transvaal Education Department and, later, also a part-time lecturer in philosophy at the University of South Africa
. His mother was an obstetric nurse and midwife.
His parents, both members of the Gereformeerde Kerk, brought him up to be highly religious, an important fact which was reflected in various compositions. His father was of an artistic nature and was a self-taught musician and painter, and Dawid was encouraged to learn the piano formally.
He took an early interest in African music and song and would attend Sunday afternoon church services in the African neighbourhood to make closer acquaintance with the music of the people. This knowledge evidently contributed in later years to his decision to set two poems by Roy Campbell
including The Zulu Girl to music; these poems describe typical Zulu characters.
In 1947 he matriculated from Voortrekker High School, Boksburg, with a first-class pass and distinctions in Latin, Mathematics, Physical Science and Music.
In 1949 he registered for a three-year B.Mus. degree at the University of the Witwatersrand
. His tutors were Prof. P. R. Kirby, Dr. W Paff and Adolph Hallis.
Engela's long association with the broadcast media began on 1 December 1948, when he took a part-time job as an apprentice record programme compiler in the SABC record library. He managed his time sufficiently well in order to pursue his full-time studies while having an income. In February 1950 he resigned from the SABC in order to pay more attention to his studies; nevertheless he handled the music column in the weekly SABC magazine, Radio, from June - August 1950. At the end of 1951 he completed his B.Mus. studies and immediately (in November) rejoined the SABC, this time as announcer/producer. He held this post until May 1953.
. They married on 25 July 1953. For this occasion he composed his so-called Wedding Cantata (Huwelikskantate). They wished to further their music studies in Vienna
from January 1954, but first would undertake a tour of Europe. As a result they departed for London in September 1953 with individual two-year music bursaries of £25 per annum awarded by the Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurverenigings (FAK - Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Unions).
Engela's chief goal for his studies in Vienna was to achieve a doctorate in musicology. He registered at the University of Vienna
, and began his research under Prof. Erich Schenk. This would deal with 'Harmony in the music of the early seventeenth century, with particular reference to the works of Monteverdi, Schütz
and Schein
'.
At the same time he registered at the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst with a view to establishing himself generally as a musician. He took courses in piano accompaniment (with Alfred Uhl
and later Karl Schiske) and composition and arrangement (with Hanns Jelinek
and Paul Hindemith
).
Full-time study proved to be difficult, however, with Engela having to take a number of part-time broadcasting jobs to make ends meet. During this period his marriage to Mimi failed, and he moved instead to London to try to get a permanent broadcasting job.
was successful and he was appointed from 1 September 1956 for a contract period of three years. Later it was extended and eventually he was in the service of the BBC for seven years, during which time he became a naturalised British citizen. Initially he worked in the Afrikaans Division and later in the Overseas Regional Service, as announcer, translator, programme compiler and drama organiser and producer, even occasionally doing duty as a sports commentator.
In September 1956 Engela registered as a student at the Royal College of Music
. He resumed his interrupted studies, taking composition with Herbert Howells
, music criticism with Frank Howes and piano with Henry Brown. In April 1958 he passed the ARCM Performance Diploma examination with distinction. In the same year he also passed the written examination for the D.Phil. degree in music history.
His plan was to complete his doctoral thesis within eighteen months. Its title was to be 'Periods of crisis in musical thought during the past millennium in Western civilisation and their relation to the present musical revolution'.
In 1958 he met the Scottish contralto, Ruth Morrison, whom he married in December of that year. From this marriage two children were born, Charl (1960) and Jeannie (1961). This marriage also failed, however, and was finally dissolved in January 1967.
In 1962 his father died. Engela and his family attended the funeral in South Africa. During this visit he wrote a children's book, Stories uit die Italiaanse Operas (Stories from the Italian Operas).
The London period was filled with rich musical experiences, including the radio interviews that he conducted with the composers Aaron Copland
, Iain Hamilton
, Humphrey Searle
, John Joubert
and others. The first public performances of his compositions date from this period. Well-known South African performers such as Joyce Barker
, Betsy De La Porte and Dawie Couzyn were involved. He also organised the entire London production of Bartho Smit's play The Maimed. The performance by the English Stage Society took place on Sunday, 27 November 1960, at the Royal Court Theatre.
On 1 September 1967 he married for a third time, this time to a person without musical training - Ansie Fouché. He would not enjoy this marriage for long, however. On Saturday 25 November 1967 the couple left Cape Town for a short visit with his mother in Boksburg, before leaving on a long-planned overseas visit. Near Laingsburg
Engela was killed instantly in a head-on collision with an oncoming car. His wife, who lost consciousness, died shortly afterwards.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and musicologist.
Early life
He was born in FloridaFlorida, Gauteng
Florida, Gauteng is a location in South Africa. It is located about 10 miles west of Johannesburg. The area which is referred to as Florida was originally established as the farm Vogelstruisfontein...
, a suburb to the west of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
(now part of the province of Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
). He was the only child of David Jakobus Engela (1895-1962) and Sophia Hendrina Fredrika Engela (1903-1991, née Buys). His father was a teacher in the service of the Transvaal Education Department and, later, also a part-time lecturer in philosophy at the University of South Africa
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa is a distance education university, with headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa. With approximately 300 000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the world's mega universities.-History:...
. His mother was an obstetric nurse and midwife.
His parents, both members of the Gereformeerde Kerk, brought him up to be highly religious, an important fact which was reflected in various compositions. His father was of an artistic nature and was a self-taught musician and painter, and Dawid was encouraged to learn the piano formally.
He took an early interest in African music and song and would attend Sunday afternoon church services in the African neighbourhood to make closer acquaintance with the music of the people. This knowledge evidently contributed in later years to his decision to set two poems by Roy Campbell
Roy Campbell (poet)
Ignatius Royston Dunnachie Campbell, better known as Roy Campbell, was an Anglo-African poet and satirist. He was considered by T. S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas and Edith Sitwell to have been one of the best poets of the period between the First and Second World Wars...
including The Zulu Girl to music; these poems describe typical Zulu characters.
In 1947 he matriculated from Voortrekker High School, Boksburg, with a first-class pass and distinctions in Latin, Mathematics, Physical Science and Music.
University and early broadcast work
He registered in 1948 for a BA degree at Potchefstroom University. His subjects were Latin, Hebrew, Greek, Theology, Dutch and Afrikaans, and Music. He was also accompanist, soloist and pianist/conductor in the student orchestra. At this point Engela was aiming to enter the ministry, but soon realised that his future career lay in music. He nevertheless decided first to complete the year's study at Potchefstroom.In 1949 he registered for a three-year B.Mus. degree at the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
. His tutors were Prof. P. R. Kirby, Dr. W Paff and Adolph Hallis.
Engela's long association with the broadcast media began on 1 December 1948, when he took a part-time job as an apprentice record programme compiler in the SABC record library. He managed his time sufficiently well in order to pursue his full-time studies while having an income. In February 1950 he resigned from the SABC in order to pay more attention to his studies; nevertheless he handled the music column in the weekly SABC magazine, Radio, from June - August 1950. At the end of 1951 he completed his B.Mus. studies and immediately (in November) rejoined the SABC, this time as announcer/producer. He held this post until May 1953.
Vienna
In May 1952 he met the young singer Mimi CoertseMimi Coertse
Mimi Coertse , is a South African soprano.-Early life:Coertse, born in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, matriculated at the Helpmekaar Girls High School in Johannesburg. She began vocal studies in South Africa in 1949. In July 1953 she married the broadcaster and composer Dawid Engela. She left South Africa...
. They married on 25 July 1953. For this occasion he composed his so-called Wedding Cantata (Huwelikskantate). They wished to further their music studies in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
from January 1954, but first would undertake a tour of Europe. As a result they departed for London in September 1953 with individual two-year music bursaries of £25 per annum awarded by the Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurverenigings (FAK - Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Unions).
Engela's chief goal for his studies in Vienna was to achieve a doctorate in musicology. He registered at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, and began his research under Prof. Erich Schenk. This would deal with 'Harmony in the music of the early seventeenth century, with particular reference to the works of Monteverdi, Schütz
Heinrich Schütz
Heinrich Schütz was a German composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and often considered to be one of the most important composers of the 17th century along with Claudio Monteverdi...
and Schein
Johann Schein
Johann Hermann Schein was a German composer of the early Baroque era. He was born in Grünhain and died in Leipzig...
'.
At the same time he registered at the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst with a view to establishing himself generally as a musician. He took courses in piano accompaniment (with Alfred Uhl
Alfred Uhl
Alfred Uhl was an Austrian composer, violist, music teacher and conductor.-Biography:Uhl studied with Franz Schmidt at the Vienna Music Academy, receiving a diploma in composition with honours in 1932. He subsequently worked as Kapellmeister of the Swiss Festspielmusik in Zürich...
and later Karl Schiske) and composition and arrangement (with Hanns Jelinek
Hanns Jelinek
Hanns Jelinek was an Austrian composer of Czech descent who is also known under the pseudonym Hanns Elin....
and Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
).
Full-time study proved to be difficult, however, with Engela having to take a number of part-time broadcasting jobs to make ends meet. During this period his marriage to Mimi failed, and he moved instead to London to try to get a permanent broadcasting job.
London and the BBC
Engela's application for a permanent post at the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
was successful and he was appointed from 1 September 1956 for a contract period of three years. Later it was extended and eventually he was in the service of the BBC for seven years, during which time he became a naturalised British citizen. Initially he worked in the Afrikaans Division and later in the Overseas Regional Service, as announcer, translator, programme compiler and drama organiser and producer, even occasionally doing duty as a sports commentator.
In September 1956 Engela registered as a student at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
. He resumed his interrupted studies, taking composition with Herbert Howells
Herbert Howells
Herbert Norman Howells CH was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music.-Life:...
, music criticism with Frank Howes and piano with Henry Brown. In April 1958 he passed the ARCM Performance Diploma examination with distinction. In the same year he also passed the written examination for the D.Phil. degree in music history.
His plan was to complete his doctoral thesis within eighteen months. Its title was to be 'Periods of crisis in musical thought during the past millennium in Western civilisation and their relation to the present musical revolution'.
In 1958 he met the Scottish contralto, Ruth Morrison, whom he married in December of that year. From this marriage two children were born, Charl (1960) and Jeannie (1961). This marriage also failed, however, and was finally dissolved in January 1967.
In 1962 his father died. Engela and his family attended the funeral in South Africa. During this visit he wrote a children's book, Stories uit die Italiaanse Operas (Stories from the Italian Operas).
The London period was filled with rich musical experiences, including the radio interviews that he conducted with the composers Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
, Iain Hamilton
Iain Hamilton (composer)
Iain Ellis Hamilton was a Scottish composer.He was educated in London where he became an apprentice engineer, and remained in that profession for the next seven years. He undertook the study of music in his spare time...
, Humphrey Searle
Humphrey Searle
Humphrey Searle was a British composer.-Biography:He was born in Oxford where he was a classics scholar before studying — somewhat hesitantly — with John Ireland at the Royal College of Music in London, after which he went to Vienna on a six month scholarship to become a private pupil of Anton...
, John Joubert
John Joubert (composer)
John Joubert is a British composer of South African descent, particularly of choral works. He has lived in Moseley, a suburb of Birmingham, England, for over 40 years. A music academic at the universities of Hull and Birmingham for 36 years, Joubert took early retirement in 1986 to concentrate on...
and others. The first public performances of his compositions date from this period. Well-known South African performers such as Joyce Barker
Joyce Barker
Joyce Barker was a South African soprano.Joyce Barker was born in Mooi Rivier, a small town in Natal. At the age of nineteen she started training for a professional career with Daisy Holmes in Durban. She won the Ernest Whitcutt Memorial Cup three years in succession and earned three different...
, Betsy De La Porte and Dawie Couzyn were involved. He also organised the entire London production of Bartho Smit's play The Maimed. The performance by the English Stage Society took place on Sunday, 27 November 1960, at the Royal Court Theatre.
Return to South Africa
At the end of August 1963 Engela left the BBC. During September the family moved to Cape Town where he took up the post of Music Organiser for the SABC on 1 October 1963. He held this post until February 1965 after which he began work as music manager of the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB) in March 1965. He held this post until his death.On 1 September 1967 he married for a third time, this time to a person without musical training - Ansie Fouché. He would not enjoy this marriage for long, however. On Saturday 25 November 1967 the couple left Cape Town for a short visit with his mother in Boksburg, before leaving on a long-planned overseas visit. Near Laingsburg
Laingsburg, Western Cape
- History :Laingsburg was first established in the 1870s by Stephanus Greeff. He bought the farm Vischkuil-aan-de-Buffelsrivier . The town only started developing when the railway line to it was completed...
Engela was killed instantly in a head-on collision with an oncoming car. His wife, who lost consciousness, died shortly afterwards.