Nigerian Choral Music, FRCN Choir

I am not an expert in this field, but suffice it to say that i am an ardent lover of choral music and I sang in several choirs while growing up. I remember in my younger days, the airwave blasted lots of local Nigerian choral compositions often referred to as ‘Native Airs’, I guess the name must have been given to this genre by the colonialists to differentiate it from the English airs.

There are a load of names that contributed in the development of classical and choral music in Nigeria, and the ones that come to my mind often are names like Steve Rhodes, Sam Akpabot, Professor Laz Ekwueme, Joy Nwosu, Fela Sowande, T.K. Ekundayo, Ayo Bankole, Israel Oludotun Ransom- Kuti, Christopher Oyesiku, Akin Euba, Sam Ojukwu, Emeka Nwokedi, Joshua Uzoigwe, Wilberforce Echezona, Felix Nwuba, Adam Fiberessime, Emeka Nzewi, James Adekunle Lawrence Emeka, Alphonso Okosa, Rev Cannon David Okongwu, and more.

THE FRCN CHOIR

One cannot talk about FRCN National choir without the mention of late Sir Lawrence Emeka (MON), for the choir was formed under his leadership as far back as the early sixties. It first started as the Enugu musical Society and by 1970 became the NBC Enugu Choir.

Over the years, the choir passed through many capable hands and rendered a mosaic of repertoire that reflected the diversity of Nigerian nation.

Alphoso Okosa (Ango) of blessed memory, a very easy going talented musicologist took over the running of the choir through the 70s to 1980. During his tenure the choir produced classic compilation of Nigerian folk songs, songs included the Igbo folk rendition ‘Enenebe Ejeghi Olu which he arranged.

ENENEBE EJEIGHI OLU

Others are ‘Iwe Kiko’ a Yoruba song originally written by Rev Israel Oludotun Ransom- Kuti, father of Fela Anikulakpo Kuti.

Iwekiko

'Watarana’ a hausa folk rendition, and many others.

The saintly Rev Cannon David Okongwu took over the mantle of affairs of the music department of FRCN Enugu around the mid 1980 and consequently that of the FRCN Choir.

As a long standing composer,Reverend Okongwu had an enviable list of compositions to his credit. The first time I heard the name long before he became a reverend was as a 9 year old chorister of the Christ Church Choir, Uwani Enugu. We did series of songs composed by him. Meeting him and working in the same radio house in later years was very humbling to me. One personal observation I had of him was his ability to reflect his stammer in his compositions, for he stammered. His compositions were mostly religious songs among others. Some of them are ‘Weta Ihe Onyinye’ (Bring forth the offerings) and ‘Ozo Dingba’(Gorilla the restler).

The FRCN choir was converted to a national choir by the then DG Dr Eddie Iroh. It was rechristened the FRCN National Choir to reflect its national status. Today it is under the leadership of Kenneth Idemili who happens to be my contemporary. The choir still maintains its position as a leading trailblazer in the sphere of choral music in Nigeria.

Ike Chime is a media specialist based in Finland