Doll de Villiers (1920–2016)

Abstract This chapter contains a newly crafted English translation and International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription of a Christmas poem by woman poet Doll de Villiers. “Where the Night in Breathless Stillness” was set to music by her husband Dirkie de Villiers, a well-known composer and pedagogue. Dirkie hailed from a highly respected family of composers. He also served as editor-in-chief of the F.A.K Sangbundel (Song Anthology) during 1961. His brother, Marthinus Lourens de Villiers, composed the previous South African National Anthem, “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika” (The Voice of South Africa), which is part of the new national anthem. Titled “Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika” (God Bless Africa), this hybrid national anthem in five of South Africa's official languages (isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English) was adopted in 1997. “Where the Night in Breathless Stillness” is scored for medium-low/medium voice. Topics include Christmas eve, the Christmas star, God’s grace, and nature.