By Boluwatife Oparinde
Atmosphere filled with aura of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, also characterized by Musical tunes, notes and musical instrumental discharge at the Opening Session of the International Music Conference, organized by the Directorate of Music, Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria and Overseas.
The long anticipated music Ministers' conference began on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at Oladele Olasore Hall, Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State.
In his welcome address, the Director of Music, Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria and Overseas, Pastor Tope Dada, appreciated God, the CAC Church Authority, Regional Superintendents, Members of the Management, the Planning and Operations Committees, as well as his family, for the 5th Annual Music Conference.
Announcing the theme of the conference, "Building Skillful and Godly Choristers through Grace" in line with the global theme of the Church for the year, Pastor Dada stated that "the importance of grace in every endeavour cannot be overemphasized. We need grace to move forward in life and ministry. No doubt, our conference speakers will do great justice to this context. Also, it has been a burden in our hearts that a good number of our choir leaders and choristers are not music-savvy and therefore, have little or nothing to offer in terms of music education and training."
"There is therefore, an urgent need for a paradigm shift to meet the yearnings of the contemporary Church. It is not sufficient for us only to demonstrate competence in singing; we must live God-centered, Christ-like lives in congruence with the message we share. In essence, this year's conference will be a mix of lessons in musical skills development and being godly choristers. We need to be adequately equipped to be able to give our best in service. To deliver the various sessions, we have a team of highly resourceful experts who are well prepared and out to give us their best. All I ask of you is to keep an open mind and be receptive so that you can gain maximally from the conference. We must be responsive to every point, skill and lesson learnt to make our Church and our Church Choir better," he said.
The Opening Session of the conference also witnessed the Conference Anthem presented melodiously; a Key Note address by the CAC General Superintendent, Pastor E. O. Odejobi, represented by Pastor Samuel Adesoji; and a General Overview of the Conference Workshop. The night ended with a session of effective choral singing (interpretation, blend, style, phrasing) and rehearsal.
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