There are some evenings that stay with you. Our “An Extraordinary Benefit Concert” at Nazareth House was one of them. But before guests gathered on the lawn with glasses of sparkling wine in hand and the chapel filled with music, something just as special happened.
The day before the concert, Charl du Plessis and Stefan Arzberger dropped by Daybreak House. They didn’t arrive as “world-famous musicians”; they showed up as people who simply wanted to see what they were playing for. They spent time with our staff, walked through the rooms, held the babies, and really listened.
It was unhurried. It was sincere.
We had gone back and forth on what to give artists of their caliber as a thank-you. Flowers felt ordinary. A gift hamper felt forgettable. So, we gave them something that felt like us.
We handed them canvases featuring hand-drawn stick figures with cut-out photos of their own faces mixed in with our babies’ faces. They were genuinely delighted. They laughed, showed the kids, and pointed out the tiny details. It was one of those moments that reminds you that people aren’t moved by grandeur, they’re moved by sincerity.
The Lullaby and the Rockstar
On the evening of the show, before the doors opened to the public, Charl and Stefan gave our babies their own private performance.
It started with a gentle lullaby. Then, one of our toddlers decided to put in a request for their absolute favorite song: “We Will Rock You.”
What happened next was pure joy. Small hands clapping, little bodies rocking to the beat, and two world-class classical musicians playing Queen for a bunch of toddlers inside a chapel. It’s not something you see every day, but in that moment, it felt exactly right. It was music doing exactly what it was meant to do.
Welcoming Our Guests
As the sun began to dip, guests started arriving for sparkling wine on the lawn. Our babies and toddlers were right there with them, alongside our nannies.
They greeted guests the only way babies can—with wide eyes, reaching hands, and the occasional delighted squeal. It kept the whole evening grounded. The “cause” wasn’t some abstract concept on a flyer; it was sitting right there in front of everyone. The atmosphere was warm and relaxed. Conversations flowed easily. There was anticipation, but not formality.
The Performance
From the first notes of Bach’s Chaconne, the chapel went silent. Stefan’s sound was so rich and expansive that someone whispered it sounded like three violins playing at once.
The program moved through Mozart, Debussy, and Kreisler. Between pieces, Charl and Stefan shared context, jokes and small personal reflections that broke down the wall between the stage and the pews. When Charl introduced Mozart’s Rondo Alla Turca, he joked that while the previous piece was “in German,” this one would be “in Afrikaans.” What followed was playful, jazz-inflected, and full of life.
It was technically brilliant, of course, but it wasn’t clinical. It felt alive.
The Afterglow
The feedback on Quicket afterwards said it better than we ever could:
“Absolutely fantastic… beautiful music in a lovely venue for a wonderful cause.”
“We were transported… the ordinary world fell away.”
“Still on a music high.”
Why It Mattered
What made the night unforgettable wasn’t just the caliber of the music – though that was staggering. It was the way everything fit together.
It was the image of world-class artists playing for infants before stepping onto the stage. It was the toddlers welcoming guests on the grass. It was the highest level of art being offered up for the smallest, most vulnerable lives.
It was refined but intimate. Joyful but quiet. Long after the final note faded, it was clear that this wasn’t just a concert. It was a moment that changed us.
