Capetonians are in luck to catch a large-scale concert of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana on 22 and 23 August 2025 at the Jakes Gerwel Hall, UWC. The Symphony Choir of Cape Town is joined by an array of musical organisations under the baton of Levi Alexander. Here are 5 reasons why you cannot afford to miss this epic soundscape.
Carmina Burana is rarely performed at this scale
A mass choir, orchestra, soloists, and percussion for this once-off sonic spectacle. The Symphony Choir of Cape Town is bringing this iconic work to life in full force. Seeing the coordinated power of choir, orchestra, and soloists live is a rare moment.
This time around, the choir is collaborating with the SACS Boys High School, Rondebosch Preparatory Boys School, and The Langa OAP Youth Choir – and those are just the choirs. Windworx and the Stellenbosch University Wind Ensemble make up the orchestra. Guest soloists, William Berger, Lynelle Kenned and Siphesihle Mdena will add their magic to Carmina Burana.
Relive that Epic Opening, “O Fortuna”
You know it even if you think you don’t — the thunderous, dramatic anthem used in movies, commercials, and memes. Live? When everyone sings in full force, it’s like being swept into a musical storm of medieval drama.
The visceral and timeless artistry of composer Carl Orff
Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana shouts, dances, and seduces with primal rhythms. It’s classical music with a rock concert heart. This popular work is a cantata composed between 1935 and 1936, and based on 24 medieval songs and poems. And for those of us who were around in the 1970s, the opening gambit Oh Fortuna will always remind us of the Old Spice TV commercial.
Lust, luck, drinking, fate, the wheel of fortune — Carmina Burana is shockingly modern for 800-year-old poetry. Think a 13th-century version of your group chat. that cover a range of topics from the unpredictability of fortune (which waxes and wanes as the moon), the ephemeral nature of life, the joys of spring and also the pleasures and perils of love, drinking, gambling and lust.
And as a bonus, Alexander Borodin’s beautiful Polovtsian Dances feature on the programme
Alexander Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, from his opera Prince Igor remains one of the most celebrated works in the Russian classical repertoire. These vividly orchestrated dances capture the exotic spirit of the Polovtsian people, combining sweeping melodies with vibrant rhythms. The piece showcases his gift for weaving folk-inspired themes into symphonic textures, leaving a lasting impression on audiences.
How to book tickets
Cost: R300pp, book via Quicket
When: Friday, 22 August and Saturday, 23 August, from 7pm to 9:30pm
Where: Jakes Gerwel Hall at the University Of Western Cape, Robert Solanwke Road, Bellville, Cape Town
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