“It’s really important to have things like music and other hobbies to enjoy outside of medicine, and the fact that you can play with other medical people makes it so much better,” said Kayla Lourens, chairperson of the Stellenbosch University (SU) Medical Orchestra and a third-year medical student at SU. PHOTO: Jean-Marie Uys
The only two orchestras in Africa consisting of only medical professionals and students recently performed together for the first time.
This is according to Reghardt Kühn, the conductor of the Stellenbosch University Medical Orchestra (SUMO).
The collaboration between SUMO and the University of Cape Town Health Sciences Orchestra (UCT HSO) took place at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Parow on 11 September.
This performance came after Kühn and Francois Botha, the conductor of UCT HSO, met at this year’s fifth South African Conductors’ Competition and decided to join their “very special ensembles” as “they deserve to be heard more often”, said Kühn.
This was also the first concert for both orchestras after the Covid-19 lockdown, according to Kayla Lourens, chairperson of SUMO and a third-year medical student.
The Stellenbosch University Medical Orchestra (SUMO) and the University of Cape Town Health Sciences Orchestra (UCT HSO) collaborated to perform works from composers Beethoven, Waldteufel, Strauss and Grieg at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Parow on 11 September. VIDEO: Jean-Marie Uys
Rehearsing in staccato
Some major challenges the orchestra faced leading up to their performance were finding enough time to rehearse, and the availability of members due to the structure of their courses, according to Kühn.
“As opposed to a standard orchestra, we get relatively few hours [to practise]. It was about two hours a week, but considering that these people are working severe late night hours, made the two hours enough,” said Kühn.
Due to SU and UCT’s medical students serving the entire Western Cape’s medical tertiary facilities as part of their course’s practical component, the orchestras had to practise with different members each time they left or returned for rotations, according to Kühn.
“The fact that they made the time to rehearse and come together to do something like this – I think it’s really special and warms my heart as a musician to have heard them make this beautiful music,” said Botha at the event.
“Having the only two orchestras in Africa consisting of medical professionals and students, both coincidentally within relatively the same zip code, makes it fantastic,” said Reghardt Kühn, conductor of the Stellenbosch University Medical Orchestra (SUMO), at the Musicians in Medicine concert, where SUMO and the University of Cape Town Health Sciences Orchestra recently performed together for the first time. PHOTO: Jean-Marie Uys
Treating medicine with music
According to Tyler Gibbons, assistant conductor of SUMO, the performance was a success because of the medical professionals’ and students’ passion for music and having fun.
“We [the conductors] were not looking for negatives, [which allowed for] a very different purpose compared to professional orchestras,” said Gibbons.
Not only did the concert motivate medical professionals and students to enjoy a favourite pastime but it gave them a chance to relax, according to Kühn.
“Studying the whole day and being in hospital – it’s really physically and emotionally exhausting. To play music with people that are in the same position as you is so fulfilling and really good for your soul,” said Lourens.