Anglican Cathedrals hold choirs’ festival

The Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina; Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedra (AVMCC)l, Ikeja; and the Cathedral Church of St. Jude, Ebute Meta jointly held its yearly Choirs’ Festival.

The three Anglican Cathedral choirs performed individually and jointly to the delight of music lovers present at the event held at All Saints’ Anglican Church, Yaba, Lagos State.

According to a statement by spokesman of the Diocese of Lagos Mainland, Mr. Lanre Idowu, each choir, in rotation, hosted and organised the programme yearly.

He said: “While St. Jude’s Choir in the Diocese of Lagos Mainland is the host this year, AVMCC, Ikeja in the Diocese of Lagos West was last year’s host. Next year, the festival will go to Marina in the Diocese of Lagos.”

Idowu said that the idea of the yearly festival began in England in the 18th Century when the Cathedral Choirs of Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester held the first festival.

“It has since caught on in such places as England, Canada, the U.S.A., and Nigeria in the quest to maintain the highest standards of choral music in leading and energising congregational worship, deepening faith-formation, glorifying God, and edifying his church.”

Idowu described choral singing as “disciplined rendition of music, where all the different choral voices – soprano, alto, tenor, and bass – are woven into a harmonious whole. He stressed that the three- choirs sang the best of choral musics available in Nigeria.

The Dean, Cathedral Church of St. Jude, Ven. Olusegun Ajayi, said that the idea of the festival among the three cathedrals was a demonstration of unity, love and togetherness among the churches.

The Bishop, Diocese of Lagos Mainland, Rt. Revd. B.C Akinpelu Johnson, while delivering his address, appreciated the efforts of the choirs and all the clergy that came for the event across Lagos.

He thanked the patrons, patronesses and special guests for their moral, financial and spiritual support towards the success of the festival.