The performance on 21 November at the Naval Hill Planetarium will feature the beloved Bloemfontein Scottish Bagpipe Band. All proceeds will go towards funding the organ installation at the Cathedral of St Andrew and St Michael. 

Adri Maryke van Heerden joins Yolanda Maartens on OFM Art Beat to discuss the origins of this unique production.

The story of Ballads of the British Isles began as a simple idea in 2018. Adri Maryke, together with a colleague, a choir member, and her mother, gathered to sing a few Irish songs at a local restaurant – just for the joy of it.

A year later, in 2019, the group decided to record a small “pilot” CD and present another themed concert titled Tree Music at the Boyden Planetarium. 

Many of the same heartfelt ballads featured in that performance as well, laying the foundation for what would become a growing musical journey.

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Fast forward to 2024, and a new connection reignited the original spark. During a concert at the Cathedral of St Andrew and St Michael – conducted by Lance Phillip, with Adri Maryke’s mother at the organ – she met Diandra Steenekamp, who was performing as part of the band that evening.

Adri Maryke and Diandra, members of the Secret Artists Club, discovered a shared passion for the evocative music of the British Isles.

What began as a casual remark – “We should do something like the Celtic Woman concerts” – soon blossomed into a fully fledged vision.

That vision now carries a greater purpose: to support the installation of a new pipe organ in the very cathedral where their musical paths crossed.

The upcoming performance will not only celebrate the haunting beauty of Celtic ballads but also contribute to a lasting legacy.

In 2026, Ballads of the British Isles will return in a fuller, more complete form – this time with Maretha Krige performing on the very organ the project helped bring to life.

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