Gert Potgieter

Gerhardus Petrus "Gert" Potgieter (14 November 1929 – 2 July 1977) was a South African opera tenor who had a great influence on Afrikaans culture.

Early life

Born at Aasvoëlkop, a suburb of Johannesburg, on 14 November 1929, he was one of the five children of Hermanus Potgieter, a printer, and his wife Maria Naudé.

He was educated at the Laërskool (Primary School) Louw Geldenhuys and Helpmekaar Kollege, Johannesburg, where he matriculated. gave Potgieter the opportunity of taking part in radio broadcasts and in 1960 he sang with Mimi Coertse and George Fourie in Verdi's opera, Rigoletto. In the same year he was awarded the Mimi Coertse Scholarship for singing. Towards the end of 1960 he enrolled as a student at the Vienna Opera School and took part inter alia in a performance of Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride.

On his return to South Africa in 1962, he went back to the printing industry as a proof-reader and machine compositor. From 1966, he devoted himself to full-time singing.

He soon became known as a singer of light music and a tenor in operas. His popularity was confirmed by the several Sarie Awards he received for his records. Sarie Awards are made by the South African Recording Industry.

His greatest operatic success was in the leading role in Peter Grimes, an opera by Benjamin Britten . He also sang arias from Don Giovanni by Mozart, Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni, La Boheme by Puccini and from the Afrikaans opera In die Droogte by John Joubert.

His repertoire also included extracts from the oratorios of Handel and Mendelssohn, Britten's War Requiem, and the radiophonic opera Asterion by the Dutch composer Henk Badings based on the lyrics of NP van Wyk Louw .

His powerful physique and acting ability earned him film contracts. During 1969-70 he played the leading role in the film Lied in My Hart (Song in my Heart). In Forgotten Song of Summer only his acting was used. Various recordings of his singing are available commercially and the South African Broadcasting Corporation made a number of transcription recordings.

Family life He married Mona Dreyer of Boshof, Orange Free State, in 1952. The marriage was childless.

Death He died on 2 July 1977 in a motorcar accident at Tarlton, Transvaal.

His sudden death was a great shock to his many fans. He had a friendly and charming disposition. His death left a void, particularly in the Afrikaans music world. Shortly before he died a programme about him, entitled PG Gesels Met was broadcast on the Afrikaans service of the SABC.