Appreciating Ghanaian Choral Music: George Mensah Essilfieas YEdze Wo KEseyE Mawa (We Ascribe To Your Greatness) In Perspective

Ghana grew out of formal music education introduced into Ghana s educational system during the colonial period Western music and its stylistic features of compositional techniques were then espoused and put to use Conversely this comprehensive espousal of foreign traditions impeded the very existence of indigenous Ghanaian cultural practices especially music The early twentieth century saw the nation s musical icons like Ephraim Amu Nketia among others initiating a crusade to resuscitate Ghanaian indigenous musical traditions Through a critical analysis of a representative work Y dzeWok sey maW We ascribe to your greatness the authors introduce one contemporary Ghanaian composer George Essilfie Mensah whose pieces demonstrate bimusicality a syncretism of traditional Ghanaian and western musical styles which presents his works appreciating to Ghanaian Choral music performers The paper seeks to serve as model for the study of a blend of traditional and western elements in choral musi

Twenty Five Years of Choral Music Performance: Contribution of Winneba Youth Choir (WYC) in the Socio-Economic Development of Ghana.

This paper investigates the beginnings, performance setting, challenges and the benefits derived from the activities of Winneba Youth Choir in the socioeconomic development of Ghana. This descriptive qualitative study highlights how the activities of Winneba Youth Choir have yielded positive results in terms of employment, education and social recognition (identity) among the youth in Winneba and its environs. The paper addresses the need in preserving the authenticity of the choral musical Art as one of the avenues in developing the cultural values of an individual. It is therefore recommended that every youth experiences any of the musical arts in his/her lifetime. Keywords: choral music, performance, contribution, socio-economic, development

Use of proverbs as communicative tool in Ghanaian choral music compositions

This paper first of all identifies Ghanaian composers who explore proverbs as textual materials in their composition. It then proceeds to analyse how proverbs are deployed as communicative tools against the backdrop of Ghanaian cultural sensibilities. The paper further examines the effectiveness of these proverbs from the viewpoint of audience perception and reception. Methodology was based on a search from archives of selected composers and libraries to unravel compositions that use proverbs as the source of text. Audiences were interrogated on their perceptions about such choral works. The research has shown that the use of proverbs in choral music promotes effective communication as well as contributes to the sustainability of Ghana’s rich traditional way of communication

LITURGICAL CHANGES IN THE REPERTORY OF THE METHODIST CHURCH GHANA

……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Abstract: The growth of Christianity in Ghana has led to the proliferation of liturgical changes leading to conflict of religious ideologies within the traditional (orthodox) and the modern (charismatic) churches. These liturgical modifications are seen not only in their worship, prayers and offerings but also in their music. This paper explores the changes that have taken place in the musical liturgy of the Methodist Church, Ghana. Through qualitative data collection, the paper investigates the factors leading to these changes and brings out the impact made in the Methodist church in general. It uses two epistemological frameworks: The separatism and the syncretism. The former looks at the liturgy in retrospect whereas the latter dwells on the changes culminating different beliefs as a result of the different movements in the Christendom in Ghana. To satisfy the varied congregational taste in this modern world, it is important that the shift in the musical liturgy of the Methodist church is well embraced by all

The Use of Indigenous Musical Genre in Christian Worship: A Case of Ebibindwom (Akan Sacred Lyrics) in the Methodist Church - Ghana

Ebibindwom (Akan Scared Lyrics) are traditional songs used in Christian worship specifically in the Methodist Church-Ghana. The paper unravels the circumstances that led to the institution of this traditional musical genre in the Methodist Church. It also attempts to provide an understanding and direction as to how Ebibindwom, a traditional musical genre, has been performed in and outside the church settings. The paper further provides the distinctive stylistic and expressive idioms that have impacted the general liturgical and musical outlook of Methodism in Ghana, to serve as an aid to the younger generation who look down upon traditional musical genres, to participate in, and sustain the singing of Ebibindwom

“Proclaiming The Kingship/Supremacy Of God” in Selected Choral Compositions of Kras Kofi Arthur

Kras Arthur, a fourth-generation choral music composer, has many choral music compositions to his credit. His choice of text harps on the kingship/supremacy of God. This paper analyzes selected pieces of Kras Arthur and suggests that he writes to uphold the kingship of God. The paper identifies the composer’s pieces that address the kingship of God and seeks to unravel how his melodic constructs are achieved using texts that adapt to God’s kingship and His supremacy. Through purposive sampling of Kras Arthur’s choral pieces and further analysis, using textual and melodic parameters, and subsequently an interaction with the composer, the paper addresses the lack of suitable material for the study of choral music composition, especially from the African perspective