Onrus · Hermanus · Launching September 2026

A new community choir for the Cape Whale Coast.

Bring your voice. No audition. No experience needed. Just the joy of singing together, and giving something back to the place we call home.

Free for the first five months, no fees until January 2027
Register your interest About the choir

Whales sing. So do we.

Every winter, the Southern Right whales return to Walker Bay to sing. We're starting a chorus to match them, anchored in Onrus, open to anyone with a voice and the will to use it.

From pop and rock to musicals, folk, and the African songs that have always been part of our story. Sung properly, sung joyfully, sung together. Every net rand we raise from performances goes to a local charity, chosen by the members.

It's the same idea Cliff started in England twenty years ago. It belongs here now.

What we'll sing

A repertoire built for joy, not just exam boards.

Twenty years of singing in the UK taught us what fills a hall and lifts a room. Expect a wide range, there's something to love in every set.

01

Pop & Rock

ABBA, Queen, Adele, Coldplay, Fleetwood Mac, the songs everyone already half-knows.

02

Musicals

From Phantom and Les Mis to Hamilton and The Greatest Showman.

03

African Songs

Shosholoza, Pata Pata, Indodana, Siyahamba, the songs from home, sung the way they were meant to be sung.

04

Folk & Choral

Standards, surprises, and the occasional proper classical piece when the mood takes us.

05

Christmas & Carols

Done properly. Candlelit. Expect a December concert that becomes a fixture.

06

Charity Singles

In 2012 the UK choirs recorded for the Paralympics at Sky Studios. We'll do it again here when the cause is right.

Rehearsals

Wednesday evenings in Onrus.

A weekly rhythm that fits around real life. Come straight from work, bring your sense of humour, leave lighter than you arrived.

Where
De Wet Hall, OnrusEasy parking. Ten minutes from anywhere in Greater Hermanus.
When
Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00pmDoors from 6:30pm for setup. Coffee break in the middle. Weekly during term, we follow the school calendar.
Who
Anyone, 18+No audition. No sheet music required. All voices, all backgrounds, all abilities welcome.
Starts
September 2026The exact first date will be confirmed to registered members closer to the time.
Cost
Free until end of December 2026 5 months free From January 2027, a small monthly membership fee, kept deliberately low, covers the hall and our music. Every net rand from concerts and performances goes to a local Overberg charity, chosen by the members.
Cliff conducting a choir mid-performance, with members visible singing in the background

Cliff in performance with his choir in the UK. This is where Wednesdays lead.

Cliff van Tonder smiling and giving a double thumbs-up after conducting the mass choirs at the Malta International Choir Festival in St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta

After conducting the mass choirs of the Malta International Choir Festival at St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta.

Sixteen years of Surrey Music

The choirs, the bands, the charities, the people.

23 min · Watch on YouTube

A tribute film from Cliff's UK years.

Founder & Musical Director

Cliff van Tonder

British Citizen Award for Services to the Arts (2019)

Cape Town-born, England-formed, and now home on the Cape Whale Coast, Cliff has spent forty years building choirs that put joy first and audition forms second.

In 2002 Cliff founded his first community choir, The Sandton Choir, in Johannesburg. It is still singing today. Two years later, work took him to England and he settled in Surrey. In the village of Cobham, in 2005, he founded Elmbridge Choir. Over the next sixteen years it grew into Surrey Music, a registered charity made up of three choirs, a big band and a youth ensemble (in its time, the largest community music society in England). In 2019, the year he also founded Surrey Rainbow Choir (the first LGBTQ+ choir in Surrey), Cliff was honoured at the Palace of Westminster with the British Citizen Award for his services to the arts and community.

In 2021 he stepped back from Surrey Music and relocated to Australia for five years. In May 2026 he came home to South Africa, settling in Hermanus. Overberg Choir is the next chapter and, in many ways, a homecoming.

R2.5m
Raised for charity through Surrey Music in the UK
40
Years building community choirs across two continents
3
Choirs founded in the UK: Elmbridge, Ladies, Rainbow

The story so far

From Cobham Village Hall to Walker Bay.

2002
The Sandton Choir is founded in Johannesburg, Cliff's first community choir. When work takes him to the UK two years later, he hands it over to its founding members. It is still singing today, twenty-four years on.
2005
Elmbridge Choir is born in Cobham, Surrey (UK). 100 prospective members turn up for the first rehearsal in the village hall. First song: Bette Midler's Wind Beneath My Wings.
2009
Elmbridge Ladies Choir forms from the waiting list. Elmbridge Big Band and Elmbridge Young Musicians follow. The society is named Surrey Music.
2012
The choir records "Light the Flame" at Sky Studios in London, a charity single for the London Paralympics. Cliff is shortlisted to carry the Olympic Torch.
2019
Cliff is honoured at the Palace of Westminster with the British Citizen Award for Services to the Arts. Surrey Rainbow Choir, the first LGBTQ+ choir in Surrey, is founded.
2021
Cliff steps back from Surrey Music and relocates to Australia for five years. The UK choirs continue under new musical direction.
May 2026
Cliff returns home to South Africa, settling in Hermanus.
Sep 2026
Overberg Choir begins. Same ethos. New coastline. Bigger whales.

Before you register

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers to the things people ask before joining.

Who can join Overberg Choir?

Anyone who loves to sing. We welcome adult voices from across Greater Hermanus, Onrus, Vermont, Sandbaai, Zwelihle, Mount Pleasant, Hawston, Stanford, Kleinmond and surrounding Overberg communities. No audition, no music-reading required, no previous choir experience needed.

When and where do you rehearse?

We rehearse on Wednesday evenings at De Wet Hall in Onrus. Doors open at 6:30pm for setup and hellos. We sing from 7:00 to 9:00pm with a coffee break in the middle. Weekly during term time, following the school calendar.

How much does it cost?

The first five months are free, September through December 2026. From January 2027, members pay a small monthly subscription that covers hall hire, music licensing and a contribution to running costs. The figure will be confirmed to members ahead of time and we keep it as low as possible.

Do I need to audition?

No. Overberg Choir is an audition-free community choir. If you can carry a tune (or even if you are not sure that you can), you are welcome.

What if I cannot read sheet music?

Most of our members cannot. We teach by ear with audio rehearsal tracks for each voice part, so you can practise at home between rehearsals. Reading music is not a requirement to join or to enjoy yourself.

What kind of music does the choir sing?

A mix of contemporary pop, musical theatre, gospel, jazz standards and other uplifting modern repertoire. We choose pieces that are accessible and joyful, with parts arranged for all voices and abilities. Not classical or church-specific, though we sometimes draw on those traditions.

Who founded Overberg Choir?

Cliff van Tonder. South African born, England formed. He founded The Sandton Choir in Johannesburg in 2002 (still singing today), then Elmbridge Choir in Surrey in 2005, which grew into Surrey Music, a registered UK charity with three choirs, a big band and a youth ensemble. In 2019 he was honoured at the Palace of Westminster with the British Citizen Award for Services to the Arts. He returned to South Africa in May 2026 and settled in Hermanus.

When does the choir start?

Our first rehearsal is in September 2026. The exact first date will be confirmed to registered members closer to the time, along with the rehearsal calendar for the rest of the year.

Where is De Wet Hall?

De Wet Hall is in Onrus, a coastal suburb of Greater Hermanus in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is about a five-minute drive from central Hermanus, with parking and easy access from the R43.

Do I have to perform on stage?

No. Concerts are part of choir life, but performing is optional. You are welcome to be a rehearsal-only member if that suits you better. Most members do choose to perform once they have settled in.

What happens to concert proceeds?

Net concert proceeds support local Overberg charities and community causes, chosen by members each year. Singing for the joy of it, performing for the good of others.

How do I register?

Fill in the form further down this page. Include your name, email, suburb and voice part if you know it (we can help if you do not). We will be in touch ahead of the first rehearsal with dates and details.

A note from Cliff before you fill in the form

The response has been wild. Registrations now exceed what De Wet Hall can comfortably seat on the first night, so I'm opening a supplementary list.

That doesn't mean you can't sing with us. Not everyone who registered will end up attending. Life happens, plans shift. As the picture clears closer to September, supplementary singers will be invited in.

So please, register if you'd like to. Just go in with eyes open.

Welkom either way.

Be part of the first rehearsal

Register your interest.

We're gathering voices ahead of our September 2026 launch. Pop your details in and we'll be in touch with start dates, what to expect, and how to join us at De Wet Hall, long before the first rehearsal.

  • Free for the first five months
  • No audition, no experience needed
  • Concert proceeds support local Overberg causes
  • Voices welcome from across Greater Hermanus

1 About you

2 Your voice

3 Tell us a bit more

4 Permissions

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You're on the list!

Thank you, we've got your details and a welcome email is on its way to your inbox.

We'll be in touch with firm dates as we get closer to September 2026. Looking forward to singing with you.

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We've got your details on file from a previous registration. No need to register again.

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Friends of the Choir

Not singing with us but want to keep up? Sign up as a Friend of the Choir. You'll be first to hear when concert tickets go on sale (with a Friends' discount as a thank-you), plus the occasional update on how we're getting on.

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