A cash prize of N5 million and brand new car are up for grabs, as 14 contestants (Hymntestants) on Sunday entered the House or Hymnstitute for the commencement of a 13-week Hymnodia reality TV show season one.
Amidst fun and fanfare, the hymntestants were received into the Hymnstitute located in Ikeja, Lagos at an exclusive yet glamorous ceremony that was well attended by entertainment stakeholders, faculty members, and the media.
It was indeed a funfilled evening, as the hymntestants thrilled the audience with classical and contemporary hymns, showcasing their talents and demonstrating the art of worship that Hymnodia represents. Hymns rendered at the ceremony included Old Rugged Cross, Great is Thy Faithfulness, It Is Well With My Soul, How Great Thou Art, Saviour Blessed Saviour, and Until Then. With the beautiful performances, the hymntestants were excited, commending Hymnodia for reviving the almost forgotten hymn culture among young Nigerians.
For the 14 hymntestants – six female and eight male, it was a rough road to the House. They were selected through a painstaking two-day audition held at Lagos Television (LTV8) and were pruned from thousands of entries to only 200, followed by post audition evaluations by the Hymnodia faculty. The finalists were later revealed through the Hymnodia social media handle: @hymnodiahq on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
A twist was, however, introduced into the ceremony when Casey Edema, a tenor singer was given an opportunity to slug it out with a contestant, to enter the Hymnstitute. But he wasn’t that lucky as Ekwemelo outperformed him, thus retaining his place in the House.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of Philosoville Limited and project initiator, Kufre Ekanem, charged the hymntestants to be of good conduct and to put into practice what they would be taught in the Hymnstitute.
Meanwhile, elimination from the show, called Hymnviction by the organisers, will be by audience voting once the show starts. This will culminate into a grand finale in April, where the ultimate winner will receive an Asaph, (a specially designed award named after David’s chief musician), a brand new car and cash prize of N5 million.
Hymnodia will air for one hour every Sunday on Lagos Television (Channel 256 on DStv, Channel 90 on GOtv and Channel 118 on StarTimes) with a magazine show on same channels on Thursday evening. Hymnodia would also stream live via the LTV App and on the dedicated YouTube channel, Hymnodiahq.