Under the stars with RMB: music, people and the magic of collaboration

For RMB partners, clients and friends, the annual RMB Starlight Classics is simply not to be missed. It is a real privilege to be invited.

Each year I find myself attending either in the Cape at Vergelegen, in Johannesburg at the Country Club or, when work needs dictate and time allows, in both. Wherever it happens, the result is always the same: extraordinary music, remarkable people and a reminder that when organisations back the arts properly, something special happens.

This year we were in the Cape on Saturday 14 March at the magnificent Vergelegen Wine Estate.

Rikus and I attended as guests of RMB and, as always, the evening reminded me that RMB Starlight Classics is about far more than music.

The joy of bumping into people

One of the great pleasures of the evening is simply walking through the gardens and bumping into people.

Old friends. New friends. Clients. Artists. Entrepreneurs. People building businesses and people building culture.

We attend as CN&CO, a supplier to RMB, but every year I am reminded how small the world really is. Conversations start next to a glass of wine and somehow end up becoming collaborations months later.

This year we were joined by Janet Fox van der Poel. Janet taught me music decades ago and today she is also my partner in CN&CO Recruit where we specialise in education.

She was there to support violin virtuoso Pendo Masote, who delivered one of the standout performances of the evening.

Janet taught Pendo from the age of four or five and still follows his career closely. That is what great teachers do. Their influence lasts decades and often lifetimes.

As Pendo’s mother joked during the evening:

“I gave birth to him but I know I was only the vessel. He is Janet’s child!”

Anyone lucky enough to have had a great teacher will understand exactly what she meant. And if I haven’t shouted this enough in previous blogs, please allow me to do so again – respect the teaching profession and encourage more people to become teachers.

Charl du Plessis: genius, humour and humanity

The evening was co-hosted by Charl du Plessis alongside Katlego Maboe.

Charl is a Steinway artist, composer and arranger of extraordinary ability. But what makes him special is not only the music. It is the warmth, humour and complete absence of ego.

He has that rare ability to make audiences feel completely at ease while delivering performances of astonishing brilliance.

Charl once said something that captures his philosophy perfectly:

“Classical music is not something that belongs behind velvet ropes. It belongs in people’s hearts.”

And then, also typically Charl:

“If you can make someone smile while they’re listening to Bach, you’re doing something right.”

That combination of genius and kindness is rare.

Rikus and I always think of our dear friend Aletta when Charl performs. She adored his music (and his hair!) and once half-seriously suggested she wanted to follow him around the world. The three of us fondly remembered Aletta last night.

A stage for remarkable talent

The line-up this year was exceptional.

Levy Sekgapane reminded everyone why he is one of the most exciting tenors to come out of South Africa in decades. One moment he is delivering flawless classical repertoire and the next he crosses effortlessly into rock. His rendition of Meat Loaf was magnificent and had the audience cheering.

It is also no surprise to hear that he is essentially fully booked until 2030.

Megan Kahts brought another dimension to the programme. She has been living and performing in Austria for sixteen years and is part of the remarkable South African diaspora of artists performing around the world. It is something we should be proud of. These musicians quietly build South Africa’s cultural brand globally.

Arno Carstens showed again why he remains one of the country’s most compelling performers.

BlackByrd brought their distinctive blend of country, pop and South African storytelling. The trio have carved out a unique space in the local music landscape and their harmonies worked beautifully in the Starlight setting.

All supported by the superb Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, whose versatility allows the programme to move effortlessly between genres.

The next generation

Another highlight of the evening was the appearance of students from LAMTA, the Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy.

LAMTA was founded by our friends Duane Alexander and Anton Luitingh, two people we admire enormously and whose work we love. Their academy has become one of the most important training grounds for musical theatre in South Africa.

The students not only performed their own pieces but also provided supporting vocals throughout the evening, demonstrating exactly why studying at LAMTA is so valuable.

Their performance of You Will Be Found from Dear Evan Hansen was powerful and emotional. Seeing Ben Platt in this musical on Broadway (when America was still a great nation) is one of my fondest musical memories.

As I have written before on CN&CO, the arts move society forward. Institutions like LAMTA ensure that the next generation has the confidence and skill to keep doing exactly that.

When music breaks boundaries

One of the reasons RMB Starlight Classics works so well is that it refuses to respect artificial boundaries.

Opera flows into rock. Classical meets pop. Musical theatre appears alongside jazz.

Sometimes people worry about mixing genres like this.

But music has always evolved through conversation between styles.

Pendo Masote illustrated this beautifully when he spoke about his musical heritage.

His father is a brilliant cellist who today shares his passion for music through a radio programme. Pendo also carries a remarkable family legacy. His uncles and grandfather were members of the legendary Soweto String Quartet.

The quartet helped redefine classical music in South Africa during the 1980s and 1990s, blending Western classical traditions with African musical identity and bringing the genre to new audiences across the country.

Music, in other words, belongs to everyone.

There is a wonderful TED talk by violinist Joshua Bell (also a former RMB Starlight musician btw) describing an experiment where a world-class musician played anonymously in a subway station. The lesson was simple. When people stop and listen, they are moved.

Classical music still has that power. And in the exciting world of AI, always will to my mind.

 

The vision behind the event

Events like this do not happen by accident.

For more than twenty-five years RMB has backed Starlight Classics as part of a broader commitment to the arts in South Africa.

That commitment stretches well beyond one evening. RMB has supported numerous cultural initiatives across the country, recognising that creativity is not decoration. It is part of the social and economic fabric of a thriving society.

Much of the energy behind Starlight Classics has come from Carolynne Waterhouse, who has been involved since the early days and continues to guide the event as it evolves.

RMB understands something important. Tradition and innovation can coexist.

In fact they must.

Collaboration beyond the concert

It was also a reminder of how often RMB and CN&CO cross paths in the arts and cultural world.

Recently we collaborated on a wine event that brought together artists, entrepreneurs and friends in a way that felt very much in the spirit of Starlight Classics.

Different worlds. Same curiosity.

I have always believed that sometimes 1 + 1 should equal 22. When you put together things that allegedly do not belong together something unexpected happens.

Often something wonderful.

Friends and familiar faces

Among the many familiar faces during the evening it was lovely to bump into Shaun Edmonston and his wife Aline.

Shaun chaired the Old Stithian Association when I was chair of the St Stithians Council and we worked exceptionally well together.

In the same circle we spent time with Estelle from the Cape Town Stock Exchange, who also serves as company secretary of Purple Group and EasyEquities.

Estelle is one of those people who combines sharp intelligence with a very human approach to business. Smart, fun, straight down the line and always focused on people and process and empowering both.

She and her husband Leon were clearly enjoying the evening. And yes, she remains an excellent wine companion.

Trees, memory and Vergelegen

The setting at Vergelegen deserves special mention.

Magnificent gardens. Historic buildings. Ancient trees.

Trees have always fascinated me. They hold memory. Decades, sometimes centuries.

In many ways classical music does the same. Notes written hundreds of years ago still resonate today.

Listening to that music under those trees feels quietly profound. Really good soul food in a year that has thrown a lot at many of us, already!

Thank you RMB

Behind the scenes an enormous team brings Starlight Classics to life.

Creative director, the extraordinary Darren Hayward, musical director, the brilliant James Bassingthwaighte, the phenomenal musicians, technicians and the exceptional, broader RMB team combine to produce something that from the audience looks effortless.

It is anything but.

But when it works, as it did on Saturday evening, it reminds us of something important.

Music matters.
The arts matter.
And when organisations like RMB create spaces where artists and audiences can meet under the stars, something bigger than a concert happens.

Connection.
Joy.
And a reminder that South Africa continues to produce extraordinary talent. I am so very proud. As were hundreds of people singing our anthem at the start of the show.

Long may the music continue.