Cecilia Wessels

Cecilia Wessels (1895-1970) was an opera singer.

Biography

She was descended from the Wessels family of the Free State, well known especially in the political field. Her father, Cornells Hermanus Wessels (Administrator of the Orange Free State, later knighted), was an influential political and public figure and owner of the well-known Bloemfontein farm Kwaggafontein, where Cecilia grew up. She was the youngest daughter.

In her final year at the South African College of Music in Cape Town, she married Prof James Hutcheon, but he died shortly after their marriage. She later married Ernest Beecroft in 1925 and had a daughter Celia and son John.

She died in Cape Town in 1970.

Training

Her exceptional vocal ability was discovered by the music mistress, Nina Reinecke, at the Oranje Meisieskool in Bloemfontein. Miss Reinecke took great care of her pupil's voice: Cecilia was 22 before she sang her first dramatic role in public. - Dorothy in Cellier's Dorothy of Haddon Hall. After performing frequently in Bloemfontein, usually at charity concerts, she went to Cape Town in 1918 to continue her studies at the South African College of Music. A few years later Cecilia was accepted as a student by the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she studied for five years. She received tuition from well-known music masters such as Sir Henry Wood, Frederick King, Albert Vissiti and Sir George Henschel.

Career

Her operatic career gained momentum with London debuts in Il Trovatore, Carmen and Tannhäuser, all in the Old Vic Theatre. In 1925 she made her debut at the old Queen's Hall, London, in Sir Henry Wood's famous Promenade Concerts. She was so successful that she was booked as soloist for the Promenade Concerts for three consecutive seasons.

Although she never really settled overseas, but made her home in Cape Town, she retained almost life-long links with England. She travelled overseas many times, reaping success in concert halls and theatres, mainly in Britain. In 1937 she sang the parts of Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana and Brunhilde in Die Walküre for Sadler's Wells. The latter was considered to be her debut in grand opera and became one of her best-known roles. Then there were her post-war appearances with the London Symphony Orchestra, usually in the Royal Albert Hall under the well-known conductor Basil Cameron. In 1953 she had the honour of representing South Africa in a great choir of 400 voices at the crowning of Elizabeth II in Westminister Abbey. She also visited countries such as France, the Netherlands, Egypt, Palestine and Italy.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

She was a great interpreter of Wagner, and the grand dame of the South African music world. Mainly by means of frequent concert tours and numerous public performances, often with well-known and large orchestras, and also through numerous radio programmes, she became known not only throughout South Africa, but also in the then South West Africa and Rhodesia. She appeared or performed in South Africa's big cities, at large national festivals, cultural congresses and inaugural ceremonies or funerals of state presidents - such as the visit of British royalty (1947), the inauguration of the Voortrekker Monument (1949), the Van Riebeeck Festival (1952), the inauguration of a State President (1961) - but she also choose to perform even in small isolated communities at functions like organ inaugurations, charity concerts or local memorial festivals.

Awards

She was awarded the medal of honour from the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (South African Academy of Arts and Science) in 1959.

Sources

J. Haasbroek. 'Cecilia Wessels - From Kwaggafontein to a legend'.CULNA, September 1994. https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA10162275_336

https://atom.lib.uct.ac.za/index.php/cecilia-wessels

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities W

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page