Awka Anglican Diocese: Winners Emerge In 2020 Diocesan Music Festival Grand Finale
Winners have emerged in a tightly contested Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Diocese Awka 2020 Diocesan music festival competition held at the Cathedral Church of St. Faith, Awka.
The Cathedral was alive on Saturday as Awka Diocese of the Anglican Church celebrated its 2020 edition of Diocesan music festival.
www.odogwublog.com reports that the event was made colourful with wonderful music and renditions from the participating choir representing different churches across the diocese.
While it included different grades, the biennial competition witnessed presence of dignitaries and Anglican faithfuls from participating churches in the diocese who came to cheer their various churches to victory in the lively affair.
After a long period of mind arresting performances, the result which was compiled by a team of judges declared St. Jude’s Church choir Adazi-Ani, Our Saviour’s Church Choir, Awka, St. Luke’s church choir, Agulu, St. John’s church choir Ichida and St. Jude’s church choir Adazi- Ani winners of their respective grades.
Result recorded according to the performances of the participating church choirs include:
Children Grade:
1.St Jude’s Church choir Adazi- Ani
- St. Thomas’ Church choir Neni
- S.S. Peter and Paul Choir Nise
- St. Stephen’s church choir Ugwuoba
- Immanuel Church choir Ugwuoba
Grade Three
First Position: St John’s Church Ichida
2nd: Anglican Church of Epiphany,Awka
3rd: St. Thomas’ Church choir Neni
4th: Holy Trinity Church choir Ifite Nibo
5: St. Paul church Umuokpu-Awka
6: St. Stephen’s Church choir Awka
7: Immanuel Church choir Awka
8: St. George’s Church Akwaeze
9: All Saints’ Church Enugu- Adazi
10: St. Mark’s Church choir, Agulu
11: S.S. Peter and Paul Church Nise
12: St. James Church Abagana
13: All Soul’s Church Enugwu- ukwu
Grade Two choirs:
St. Luke’s Church Choir Agulu
All Saints’ Church choir Nibo
St. Mark’s Church choir Agulu
Grade one choirs:
Our Saviour’s Church choir Awka
St. Mary’s Church choir Nibo
St. Peter’s Church choir Agulu
Super Grade Choirs:
1.St. Jude’s Church choir Adazi- Ani
- St. John’s choir, Abagana
- Cathedral choir, Awka
- St. Stephen’s choir Agulu
Addressing the participants, Archbishop Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim PhD, said that singing is an essential part of service to God adding that singing alone can perform miracles and wonders that prayers do.
While commending the participants for turning out massively to make the day glorious, Archbishop Ibezim urged the youthful choristers to shun sinful life and embrace holy life so as to defeat the many temptations of Satan.
Archbishop Ibezim who later addressed newsmen said: ” Today, 28 choir groups in Awka diocese gathered to have a massive celebration. The atmosphere was like heaven on earth.
“The essence is that music is a ministry and in heaven, the Angels are always praising God.
They sang to the glory of God. Singing alone can perform miracles. Music is an instrument we use in worshipping God.
” What we are trying to do is to make our worship or service in the Church to be rich because when people go to church, they expect to be filled with the presence of God. This is obtained through the act of worship and it is the choir that enhances the worship in the Church.
“We don’t pay the choristers , it is only God that pays them. What we do is to encourage that gift in them to be manifested and that gift helps our service to be rich so that when people come to the church, they don’t go out dry; people go to Church and feel they have gone to meet with the lord.”
Addressing the participants earlier, the chairman and music director, Sir Pharm. George Ezenwa JP said that God has endowed mankind with gift and wisdom to apply music in the worship of his name for ages, adding that “what we are doing today is a display of wonderful legacy left behind for us by our forefathers who embraced the Gospel of our lord Jesus Christ.”
He decried the growing trend in the present day Christians who seem to find it difficult to sing for the lord with joy that is devoid of bitterness and rancour reminding them that blessings and benefits abound in the practice.
Sir Ezenwa challenged ordained ministers to as a matter of responsibility raise men and women who will minister in the Church with soul lifting renditions even as they maintain the Anglican heritage.
Meanwhile, the Archdeacon Adazi- Ani Archdeaconry, and Secretary , Diocesan Music festival, Ven. Christian Nkem Okafor extolled the Archbishop Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim and wife Mrs Martha Chioma Ibezim for what he described as their immeasurable support to the Diocesan choristers and in making the 2020 music festival a success.
Venerable Okafor informed that he cannot thank the house of clergy enough for their persistent support to the choristers in their respective churches both financially and otherwise, pointing out that their support to their participation in their liturgical chanting of the Mattin’s Preces and Responses were great.
Handing over the trophies to the winners of various grades marked the climax of the event.
