By Agatha Emeadi
The Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos, recently celebrated its 104th choir festival amidst beautiful renditions.
The choir festival as an ancient tradition has its origin in 1919 when the first Sunday in November was earmarked for the celebration.
The theme of this year’s celebration was: “Make a Joyful noise unto the Lord, chosen from (Psalm 100, VRS 1).” According to the Proto-Presbyter, Very Rev. Dr. Jonathan Bamidele Osin, this psalm commands believers to do seven things to God-make a joyful noise, serve the Lord with gladness, come into his presence with singing, know that the Lord, he is God, enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, give thanks to Him and bless His name.
With these, Oshin admonished that “In every culture and religion, the place of praise and thanksgiving cannot be over-emphasized because the more one praises and thank individuals, the more the person is happy with you; how much more God the creator.”
Choir Master, Sir (Brig. Gen) Rtd. Charles Adisa Bossman, noted in his goodwill message that the Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, had an enviable rich heritage of Church music, urging the choir to maintain an internationally acceptable standard of excellence sings, hymns, chants, anthems, and choruses.
“It is pertinent to remind all that Methodism was born into hymn singing, the reason why it is not surprising that Charles Wesley composed over 1000 of the hymns in churches today, therefore, it suffices to allude that the Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu has an enviable rich heritage of Church music,” he said.
In order to maintain an internationally acceptable standard in the church, he stressed the need for rigorous rehearsals, training in voice, staff notations, and rudimentary music etiquette.
The Chairman, Festival Planning committee, Sir (Dr) Faye Iketubosi, said: “Every year, we have a new theme, select different hymns, chants which we prepared diligently for several months, even as we know the socio-economic challenge we have in the country today, yet, it will not stop us from senerading impressive repertoire of classical and contemporary pieces, anthems, hymns, and chants because the bible enjoins us to praise the Lord in all circumstances, regardless of what we are going through, we should still make a joyful noise unto the Lord because that is what God deserves.”
Rt. Rev Oladapo Babalola, who spoke on behalf of the Prelate of the Methodist Church, Dr. Oliver Ali Aba, said: “At every period of our lives, we must always create a melody in our hearts for HIM. We are to sing aloud through our melodious noise or shout. We must not hesitate to sing privately and in the congregation of the saints.”