Music directors meet to promote choral music
Choral music directors from across the continent have met at the second strategic workshop for the African Federation of Choral Music at Prampram to discuss ways to rediscover, develop, preserve and propagate the African choral culture.
The event, which was held at the City Escape Hotel at Prampram also afforded the participants the opportunity to assess the progress of choral music on the continent.
After three days of deliberations, the music directors resolved to constantly promote choral music as a strategic tool for the integration of Africa and also underscored their commitment to unearth and develop more singing talents.
The event was organised by the Global Africa Foundation for Choral Music in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority.
The participants included renowned American choral music director and representative of the International Federation of Choral Music, Dr. Philip Brunel and celebrated Ghanaian musicologist, Prof Kwabena Nketiah.
The speakers made insightful presentations on relevant issues concerning the operations of the African body and succeeded in harmonising the aims and objectives of the federation with its short and long-term plans of promoting choral music on the continent.
The workshop also provided a platform for the participants to evaluate the objectives, structure and support systems for the attainment and sustenance of the vision of the federation.
As one of the highlights of the workshop, a concert was held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel last Tuesday to celebrate African choral music.
The event featured the African Unity Chorus made up of 50 singers from Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo and Burundi. Ghana was represented by the El Dunamis Choir, Jesus and Mary and the ever-popular Winneba Youth Choir.
The African Federation of Choral Music was formed in 2012 in Togo to provide a vehicle for the development of choral music talents on the continent.
The three-day workshop and concert were supported by Ecobank, Ghana Airport Authority, Unibank, La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, City Escape Hotel, Sealane Hotel and the Ghana Tourism Authority.
By William Asiedu / Graphic Showbiz / Ghana