Annalie Herbst is a well loved singer from the vineyards of Durbanville.

At her concerts one can expect to be stunned by a beautiful, well trained voice which can switch effortlessly from Opera to Chanson to Afrikaans to music from Barbara Streissand and even traditional Irish music.

She wanted to study opera after matric but was advised to choose a more "sensible" career, like teaching. At 30 she resigned when her first baby was born but she soon realized that she needed some excitement and sense of purpose. Some vocal coaches advised her not to start with opera training - too late, they said.

But she could not resist the beauty and purity of tone this music offered and was inspired by singers like Maria Callas and Kiri Te Kanawa.