Cameron Upchurch: Making Music fit for God

by Daluxolo Moloantoa · February 27, 2026

Cameron Upchurch, director of music at Holy Trinity church in Braamfontein, Johannesburg

Sacred music is prayer in song, and one of South Africa’s foremost practitioners of the art is Cameron Upchurch. He told Daluxolo Moloantoa about his journey in making music that draws the faithful into the mystery of the liturgy.

When you step into Holy Trinity church in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on a Sunday morning, the sound that greets you is not just music. You are bound to hear prayer woven in melody, chant that carries centuries of faith, and harmony that lifts the spirit.

At the heart of this liturgical richness is Cameron Upchurch, the parish’s director of music, whose journey in music and faith has been inseparable from his vocation to serve the Church.

Born in London on February 20, 1972, to South African parents, Upchurch ’s earliest memories are steeped in music. “There was always music playing in our home,” he told The Southern Cross.

His parents, both from Durban, created a household with firm values but ample space for exploration, a balance that allowed him to grow spiritually, intellectually and musically. The older of two children, Upchurch remembers singing constantly as a youngster, with faith and music already intertwined in his life.

Although his earliest formation began in the Anglican Church, Upchurch was confirmed as a Catholic at the age of 18. “My faith experience was and still is shaped by the liturgy and music,” he said. “Through them, theology and doctrine became very real.”

Discovering Chant

It was also during these formative years that he discovered his love for Gregorian chant and early sacred music. As a schoolboy in Durban, young Cameron would catch the bus into the city on Saturdays to book out vinyl records of Gregorian chant from the municipal library. “This was long before music streaming services,” he laughed, “but those records opened a world for me.”

By the age of nine, Cameron had begun piano lessons, moving to the organ as a 12-year-old. The instrument captured his imagination not only for its grandeur but also for its capacity to support both choir and congregation.

Upchurch went on to earn bachelor and master’s degrees in music at the Universities of Natal and Durban-Westville, establishing himself early as an organist of renown. He served at Durban’s Emmanuel cathedral, then at Holy Trinity in Musgrave Road, where he worked closely with supportive clergy like Fr Rodney Moss, and nurtured a Schola Cantorum (school of choir) which sang Gregorian chant.

Upchurch’s appreciation of Church history and theology grew alongside his love of music. He was drawn to the writings of St Ignatius of Loyola and St John Henry Newman — the latter a fellow convert from Anglicanism — and had the privilege of personal interaction with the late Archbishop Denis Hurley while serving as organist at Emmanuel cathedral in Durban.

“It was fascinating to hear Archbishop Hurley’s memories of the Second Vatican Council,” Upchurch recalled. Those conversations would later inspire his postgraduate research on the Council’s liturgical reforms.

Organist at St John’s College

Upchurch’s career took a decisive turn in 2004 when he was appointed chapel organist at the prestigious St John’s College, an Anglican school in Johannesburg. There, his vocation as a teacher and mentor flourished.

Over two decades, he has taught choral music, piano, organ and music theory, eventually becoming head of Chapel Music. Today, he leads a 150-member chapel choir, guiding students from Grades 5 to 12 in performing works from the great treasury of sacred music, from the Lutheran Bach to the Catholic priest Vivaldi. “It is demanding but very rewarding work,” Upchurch said.

See the St John’s Chapel Choir, supported by an orchestra of 19 players and conducted by Upchurch, perform Vivaldi’s “Gloria” at https://t.ly/4siVD.

Also in 2004, Fr Graham Pugin SJ invited Upchurch to join Holy Trinity church in Braamfontein as an organist. He accepted the invitation, and more than 20 years later, he still serves the parish, now with Fr Russell Pollitt SJ as its pastor.

Beacon of sacred music

In 2007, Upchurch established the parish’s Schola Cantorum, an ensemble dedicated to chant-inspired music. What began as a quartet has grown into a vibrant group that leads Lauds and Sung Mass on Sundays. Generously supported by benefactors, the Schola has become a beacon of the Church’s timeless musical tradition in Johannesburg. “Our focus remains Latin chant and chant-style music,” Upchurch explained. “It keeps us connected to the roots of our faith.”

The much sought-after admission to the Schola Cantorum is by audition and demands a firm regular commitment.

Alongside his teaching and parish work, Upchurch has contributed original compositions to the Church’s liturgical life. He has written two Mass settings for the new English translation of the Roman missal, a complete three-year cycle of responsorial psalms, motets on traditional texts, and settings for Lauds. His works, though humbly offered, have been well received in South Africa’s liturgical music community.

Passing on the love of music

Upchurch is not married and has no children, but his family life is richly expressed in the communities he serves, the parishioners, students, choirs, and fellow musicians who share his love of sacred music. “There is a revival of spirituality among young people, often tied to the beauty of the liturgy and the treasures of sacred music,” he noted.

Upchurch hopes to pass on his love and knowledge of sacred music to young Catholics who are discerning their place in the Church, especially those drawn to music. He encourages them to find parishes with strong music programmes, to learn an instrument, to study music theory, and, above all, to listen widely to the Church’s musical heritage.

“Good liturgical music begins with discipline and consistency,” Upchurch said, “but the joy it brings, the way it draws people closer to God, makes it worth every effort.”

Published in the November 2025 issue of The Southern Cross