By Oluwafemi Dosu
The choir of Christ Apostolic Church, Adekitan District Headquarters, Lagos has celebrated her 52nd choir Choir Festival and Thanksgiving service Sunday 24th October, 2021.
Our correspondent reports that the festival which took place at the church auditorium was loaded with classical songs such as "Glory to God from Handel" by George Frideric Handel, "Open Ye O" by Tope Ilori, "Hallelujah, Salvation and Glory" by Jeffrey LaValley, "Pepe Iyin" by Tope Ilori, "You are Loving, Baba Mi" by Bidemi Oyesanya SAN and Arranged by Ago Ajayi, and "Oluwa Iwo Ti Nse Ibujoko Wa" by Ayo Oluranti (Jnr).
The Music Director, Elder Michael Aladejebi during the Welcome Address noted that the gathering on the 'Altar of Praise' which is the theme of this year festival is to offer praises to Almighty God, the giver of life, adding that a man in the Bible heard sounds and asked "what is this about" (Kini eredi Irokeke yi?), but the choir have come to answer the question that it's like a carnival.
He therefore charged participants to allow their spirit, soul and body worship God, saying they should forget other things, praise Him, then leave Him to do His work because He knows the needs of everybody.
It is worthy of note that the choir also unveiled a new saxophone. During unveiling of the newly acquired saxophone, the church choir master, Mr. Olaniyi J. Ilori stated that the church choir has a broad vision but will be actualizing it gradually.
He added that the choir want to establish a music school where the church teenagers, youths and choristers can be groomed, proposing to engage more music instructor to train people in orchestral, wind instrument, string instrument, etc in six months.
Mr. Ilori thereby call for partners to achieve this vision within 6 months.
In his sermon, entitled "Rejoicing in Trembling" Akinyele Regional Music Director, Elder Bidemi Oyesanya (SAN) said God has given every chorister, a talent and skill.
He commended that he's happy CAC Adekitan choir is about to start music school because it's in line with Akinyele Region vision.
The Elder recalled that he has been in choir since 7 years old, which is over 50 years ago, saying Choir is a means of evangelism because there's reward in there.
Elder Oyesanya, speaking from psalm 2:11-12 stressed that God want everyone to rejoice in trembling because wherever God has put anyone there's an invisible replacement, and in any position, it is advisable to rejoice with trembling and be careful.
Citing example of King Saul, Prophet Eli, Vashti, and Judas, Elder Oyesanya stated that God replaced them when they misbehaved, warning that nobody should feel irreplaceable, that whatever anyone is doing in the house of God, it should be done with all heart.
In an Interview session with CAC News after the festival, the Regional Music Director disclosed that there is tendency today, even in the church of God that when people are rejoicing they are making sin with it, rejoicing in ungodly way, rejoicing in the way the world rejoice, and there's need for carefulness. He added that some people are rejoicing in vain glory, in self glory when believers have been taught that all glory belongs to God.
"I need to remind my fellow colleagues that being in choir for 30/50/100 years we must always have in mind that the God we serve is a Holy God and we must not allow sin ruin our rejoice," he said.
While responding to issues of CAC choir, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN reacted that: "at the National level headed by our father, Pastor Tope Dada, we have plans on ground and we are working them out to ensure that we have a standard choir at the national level and we will carry the standard down to the assembly choir because what is worth doing atall is worth doing well, even our God is God of excellence.
"CAC is a dynamic church, even the songs we used to sing in 1930, our revival songs, we are trying to fine tune them musically, even the most educated people in the world can identity with it because the spirit of God is in those songs, even though we have modernized them. Whenever they say CAC choir is singing anywhere, we should be able to rank anywhere in the world, that's what we want and God will help us."
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