Stephanus Le Roux Marais (1896 – 25 May 1979) was a South African composer.
Stephanus le Roux Marais was born on 1 February 1896, in Aasvogelkop, in the district of Bloemfontein, South Africa. He was the fourth of five brothers, with both parents being descendants of French Huguenot families [1]. Initially interested in becoming a painter, Marais was persuaded by his father to pursue another passion—music. He studied in Bloemfontein to become a music teacher, though his first professional role was as a church organist [1].
In 1921, Marais attended the College of Music at the University of Cape Town for a year. In September 1923, he traveled to London to study piano and organ at the Royal College of Music, earning an associate diploma by the end of 1924 [1].
Upon returning to South Africa, Marais never left the country again. He frequently relocated within the country, taking up the organist position at the Dutch Reformed Church in Brandfort in 1927. It was during this period that he published his first Afrikaans songs and composed some of his most notable works, including "Die Roos" (The Rose), "Mali, die slaaf se lied" (Song of Mali the Slave), "Kom dans Klaradyn", and "Heimwee" (Longing) [1] [2].
Marais is recognized for his significant contribution to Afrikaans music, often described as a composer who elevated Afrikaans to a singing language. He composed over a hundred songs that resonated deeply with the Afrikaner volk, earning him the title of "a composer of his volk" [1].
Despite being considered aesthetically insignificant by some of his peers and lacking international recognition, Marais’s music held immense local significance. His compositions contributed to the cultural identity of the Afrikaner community, embedding a sense of European culture within the South African landscape [1].
Marais lived in Graaff-Reinet, South Africa, for nearly twenty-five years, where he composed most of his extended output of Afrikaans art songs. His best-known songs, such as "Heimwee," "Kom dans, Klaradyn," and "Oktobermaand," were famously performed by soprano Mimi Coertse, helping to cement his legacy within South African music history [2] [3].
Stephanus was married to Edith Johanna Rex. She was the daughter of Mortimer Frederick Rex and Barendina Johanna Van der Merwe. He died in Graaff-Reinet, aged 83. His wife died in September 2010 at Graaff-Reinet.[ citation needed]
- ^ a b c d e f Muller, Stephanus (2016). Apartheid Aesthetics and the Insignificant: The Life and Work of Stephanus le Roux Marais. Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch.
- ^ a b Holzapfel, Helmut W. (1992). Die liedere van S. le Roux Marais: 'n Geannoteerde katalogus (PhD diss.). Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch.
- ^ Malan, Jacques P. (1984). Malan, Jacques P. (ed.). South African Music Encyclopaedia. Cape Town: Oxford University Press.
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