Two of our former members, FREDAVOR MOOS and ERROL MOOS, left the band to enter the ministry and became ordained ministers of the MCSA.  In 2004 Rev Errol Moos was elected as a bishop at the Provincial Synod of the MCSA.  To view an article which appeared in Die Huisvriend, the official magazine of the MCSA, click here.

After completing a business science degree, NICOLENE LOUIS studied in the ministry, and is now actively involved in her church in London where she has settled, after marriage.

TYRONE HITZEROTH, who started playing in the band in 1963, was appointed as assistant leader to Simon Fox in 1974. In 1987 he was also appointed as leader of the Salem Girls Band after the demise of his father. In 1990 the Girls’ and senior bands amalgamated under the joint leadership of him and Simon Fox. In 1994 he became the sole leader of the band after Simon Fox stood  down as leader. He then took the band to Germany on its first international tour.

He has been serving on the executive of BBSA continuously since 1981.  He served 29 years as chairman of the Eastern Cape Branch while alternating every second term as president of BBSA. He stood down as chairman in 2015 and continues to serve as an executive member. He also served as chairman of the Evangelical Brass Band Association of Southern Africa since its founding in 2004 until he stood down in 2015. He has been on nine international visits to Europe, Namibia and the USA, with BBSA, as a player and an administrator, five of these as leader of the group. These are besides the international tours he undertook with the Salem Bands. He formed the Salem Concert Band in 1994 by including woodwind instruments in the ensemble, and to date this remains the only wind band in the MCSA.  He has composed and arranged numerous pieces of music for the bands. He also serves as an conductor for BBSA, and has conducted at the Moravian Unity Brass Band Festival in Cape Town in 2007 and in Bad Boll, Germany in 2013. He served as Legal Referee at the Provincial Synods of the MCSA from 2004 to 2013.  In 2011 he initiated a BBSA project in the Eastern Cape with the purpose to start brass bands in Districts of the MCSA where BBSA was not active. With the aid of the Zeist Missionary Society in the Netherlands, this resulted in several brass bands being formed in various districts of the Eastern Cape, Kwa Zulu Natal, and Gauteng. This culminated in 50 members from this project, joining the BBSA Juniors at the BBSA Eastern Cape Festival in 2019. Sadly, Covid 19 brought all the good work to a halt and so, a major rebuilding process is now in progress. The Zeist Missionary Society dubbed him a missionary for his work in the project. 

 In 2015 he founded the Christian Gregor School of Music as a Non-Profit Organization at the instigation of Rev Godfrey Cunningham. This was as a result of the work he did with the Salem Bands, and in BBSA. The school is doing very well, despite limited funding opportunities. In 2024 he took a small brass ensemble of the school on a fundraising tour to Europe, where they performed in The Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic. This year, 2025, 10 students, who went through this school, are studying music at Nelson Mandela University. In addition, 1 is studying music at Stellenbosch University.

In 2020 the South African Society of Music Teachers presented Tyrone Hitzeroth with an Award of Excellence in recognition of an exceptional contribution to music education within the community at large independent of affiliation to formal music education structures.

JAMES ROBERT HITZEROTH served as leader of the band from the 1950s to 1974, when he stood down because he did not want to, so to speak, restart the band with a new system of fingering introduced from Germany. In 1995 he was prevailed upon by Reverend Chris Wessels to reconsider his stance, and he then decided to start a girls band. He continued as leader of this band until his death in 1987. He was a prolific transcriber of music and created a set of hand written books of his favourite hymns and anthems for the girls band over a number of years. This work was eventually digitized by Tyrone and Alexander Hitzeroth and published as a book called Favourite Hymns and Anthems.

In 1996 FRANCOIS KAMINETH became the first member of our band to take up a full-time position as a professional musician when he became a member of the SA Navy Band.  He later switched to the  SA Police Services Band in Pretoria where he currently services as a Captain..

ANTONIO LAWACK is not only a very talented euphonium player but also an accommplished organist.  He has given many organ recitals, and has won many music competitions as an organist.  He has also released an organ CD.  He is currently a music teacher at a local school. He performed regularly in show bands for a few years.  He is also an arranger and composer, and some of his arrangements are used by our bands.  His original works are however mainly in the genre of choral music.  He is a professional organist and plays in many different churches. He is however primarily the organist of Salem Moravian Congregation and the Moravian Choir Union Of South Africa

The following article about ALEXANDER HITZEROTH, the school-boy musician, appeared in the Edgars Club Magazine of February 1996. Click here to view.

Alexander fullfilled this promise, and at the age of 15, he was the youngest player of a wind instrument in the National Youth Orchestra in 1997.   In 1998 he was selected to tour Russia with the South African National Youth Orchestra, culminating in a symphony concert at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory and a World Youth Orchestra performance on Red Square under the direction of Valery Gergiev.  He performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, in a concert with ABBA, 4 days after writing his final matriculation examination paper in 1999.  He was thereafter offered a full-time position in the orchestra, but on his first day on the job, in January 2000, the members of the orchestra were advised that the orchestra was being disbanded for financial reasons.  The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra was formed at the end of 2000 and he became a foundation member thereof,  Over the past 20 years and more, Alex has been an active musician, both orchestrally and in various other genres. He has performed extensively with most professional orchestras in South Africa including the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra. In his role as a professional trombonist, Alex has shared the stage with many illustrious musicians, both international and local. Some of these artists include: Andrea Bocceli, Luciano Pavarotti, Abdullah Ibrahim and the Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. 

He performs regularly with different  ensembles, including: The Johannesburg Big Band, ZAR Jazz Orchestra, Bombshelter Beast, Sousaphonics and as a band member on live television productions like The Voice and Dancing with the Stars.

 He is currently vice chairperson of the Eastern Cape branch of BBSA. He is a music educator, composer,  arranger and has recently been elected as chairperson of the Moravian Music Union in the MCSA. He also does conducting and conducted at the Moravian Unity Brass Band festivals in Winston-Salem, NC, USA in 2018 and in Jefferies Bay, South Africa in 2023. He headed the BBSA production team which produced the highly successful Virtual Brass Festival in 2001 which was a first of its kind.

The following article about Alexander Hitzeroth, the professional musician, appeared in the Cl.assic Feel Magazine of December 2005. Click here to view.

The following critique on The Route 98 Big Band concert, featuring Marlon Louis, Brent Jonas and Alexander Hitzeroth, appeared in the Evening Post on 27 November 1998.  Click here to view.

MARLON LOUIS is currently a music teacher, Head of Music and Head of Culture,  at a local high school, where he is the band master of the school band.  He is also a sought-after freelance musician, and is used widely as a trumpeter and musical director of various shows.  He has also won a Herald Showtime Award for his musical direction of  The Herald’s 2007 Showtime revue.  Click here to view an article on him which appeared in The Herald in January 2007.  In addition to his work in the field of music, he is also involved in various school sports, and accompanied his school on a European hockey tour as an umpire in 2006. Marlon plays in the Erle Felkers Big Band and in 2023 was trumpet tutor for the East Cape All Star Wind Orchestra Course and East Cape Wind Orchestra Course. He was a member the BBSA production team which produced the highly successful Virtual Brass Festival in 2001 which was a first of its kind.

THEO JOEMATH is currently a principal trumpeter in the SA Navy Band. He was a member of the BBSA production team which produced the highly successful Virtual Brass Festival in 2001 which was a first of its kind. 

LESTER JONAS is currently a bass trombonist and captain in the SA Police Services Band in Kimberley.

After completing his studies in music in London, BRENT JONAS is now a performing arts officer in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality.

In 2002 JUSTIN KAMINETH and LEE CAIRNCROSS played in the National Schools Big Band.  Justin has performed with the Eastern Cape Philharmonic on occasions, and is still very active as a jazz muscian.  He holds a degree in Sport Psychology, and a teachers’ diploma at NMMU.  He is also active as a sports coach at school level.

ANTONIO LOTTERING is a versatile horn player, pianist, educator and arranger.  After completing his studies, Antonio has been an active participant in the orchestral scene, performing with major professional orchestras such as the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, Pretoria Symphony Orchestra, Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra, Pheonix Orchestra and the Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. He has participated in and won numerous awards at local and international Eisteddfods, Competitions and Festivals. Notably, in 2006, he toured Germany with the South African National Youth Orchestra at the International Beethoven Festival in Bonn under the direction of Conrad van Alphen.

Antonio’s musical prowess has transcended borders providing him with performance opportunities in the United States of America, Germany, Netherlands, France, Tanzania and Swaziland. As a French Horn player, he has shared the stage with acclaimed artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Sibongile Khumalo, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse, Gloria Bosman, Simphiwe Dana and Mafikizolo among others. He has showcased his talents in various musicals and ballets, with one highlight being his performance with the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre in their rendition of Swan Lake. Additionally, he has been involved in productions such as West Side Story, My Fair Lady and more.

Noteworthy performances include participation in the World Choir Games, the International Mozart Festival, Starlight Classics and events attended by dignitaries such as President Thabo Mbeki and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Antonio’s global reach includes collaborations with the renowned Drakensberg Boys Choir at their World Premiere of Te Deum and appearances on international platforms like Deutsche Welle in Germany, SABC, BET Africa and Showmax.

He was a member of the BBSA production team which produced the highly successful Virtual Brass Festival in 2001 which was a first of its kind. 

SHANI JOHNSON started her professional career as a clarinetist in the SA Police Services Band in Pretoria. She is currently a member of the SAPS Band in Durban.

CLINT HENDRICKS became our latest professional player when he was appointed as a Clarinetist in the SA Police Services Band in Bisho, where he also plays the French Horn.

MarlonShowtime.doc (364kb)

alexhitzeroth.pdf (258kb)