Gerrit Bon

Gerrit Bon (1901-1983). Dutch-born composer.

Written as Gerrit Bonn in some sources.

Biography

Born in Amsterdam.

At the age of 14 he was awarded the Netherlands Organ Diploma. On the strength of this he became organist at the Lutheran Church in Nijmegen and three years later he was a choral conductor and as assistant organist in Amsterdam. At this stage in his life however, legal studies took precedence, though he maintained his interest in music and even had lessons in certain technical aspects. At 21 he abandoned legal studies and emigrated to South African where he settled in Pretoria as a piano and organ teacher. Until he left the city 34 years later to settle in Salisbury (1957), Bon played a dynamic part in almost every form of serious music practiced in the capital. He improved his qualifications with the degree Mus. Bac. From the University of Durham in 1946, and composed a considerable amount of music.

Primarily Bon was an organist all his life. He commenced weekly recitals in the City Hall after a large new organ had been inaugurated. This led to his official appointment as City Organist in 1938. The climax of his organ career came in 1950 when he performed all Bach’s organ works in a series of 26 recitals to commemorate the composers 200th birthday. The venue for this series was the Presbyterian Church. He repeated the feat in Salisbury where he was given a total of 276 recitals, also including the complete organ works of Max Reger.

From 1929 he was part-time lecturer in Music at the Pretoria Normal College and after 1935 he occupied the same position in a full-time capacity. The University of Pretoria employed him as a part-time lecturer in Music from 1933, but in 1936 the University suspended the department. At the Normal College he inaugurated extra-mural classes in Music and created an Erato Choral Society for the College students. After a short interim (1960-1962) during which he acted as music master at the Boys’ High School in Pretoria, he finally settled in Rhodesia. He continued his career as organist at the Cathedral.

At different times of his career Bon was chairman of The South African Council for the Advancement of Music, director of the Pretoria Bach Society, chairman and member of the Afrikaans Kerkmusiekvereniging, vice chairman of the Radio Board and a member of the Editorial Board of Res Musicae.

Died in South Africa.

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

He wrote the opera Jarriage (1952) (opera in 3 acts, for soloists, choir and orchestra).

Sources

https://www.up.ac.za/sacomposers/article/2755682/bonn-gerrit

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