[Thomas
Ekundayo Phillips: The Doyen of Nigerian Church Music;
by Godwin Sadoh]
Godwin
Sadoh, D.M.A. writes:
“TODAY IN HISTORY--April 13, 1932: It
was exactly 80 years today that the 4th
pipe organ at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos, was consecrated
at a special service.”
Godwin
Sadoh, D.M.A., is a Nigerian organist and composer who serves as
Professor of Music at Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama. His
website is: www.reverbnation.com/godwinsadoh
Comments
by email:
Thanks
Godwin,
I
had been meaning to mention Christ Church Cathedral, Lagos for some
time after talking to an organ builder on a renovation job he was
doing abtroad. I had also heard some time ago that that the organ at
Christ Church may not have been in such good condition. However, a
quick check on the web reassuringly showed that they now have a
pretty impressive Oberlinger instrument!
An
extract of a recital by Prof Thorsten Mader on the Cathedral website
proves it to be a very worthy instrument indeed. I am very much aware
of the wear and tear that can beset a pipe organ in the sort of
climatic conditions of a tropical country. I have seen some very sad
examples!!! One hopes that the German engineering will keep Christ
Church Cathedral in good sound for many years to come.
You
have done quite a bit to bring the world to the attention of Nigerian
organ music. Indeed, Nigeria seems to have been fairly unique in
being perhaps the only sub-Saharan African country to have really
taken the instrument seriously – with the music to prove it.
It
is interesting to note that the electronic organ ‘route’ seems to
be the normal approach in Nigeria
However,
the tradition of organ music in Nigeria definitely appears to be
‘alive and kicking’.
Last
but not least, I have to put in this lovely link from You Tube!
I
have copied this to Bill Zick and the other interested people as an
open response simply to spread the word to those who are unaware of
what exists in Nigeria! Regards Mike
[Michael S. Wright]
Dear
Mike,
Thanks
for your great interest about organs in Nigeria.
--Yes,
the cathedral church built a new pipe organ in 2008 by a German firm
and the first recital on the instrument was by a German Professor.
--The
article about electronic organs in Nigeria is very true. Pipe organs
are very expensive to build today even in the US. Most churches are
going for new electronic organs that can produce pipe organ sound.
Cathedral church of Christ is one of the very few elite and rich
churches that can afford to build a brand new pipe organ from the
scratch and by a foreign firm, considering the issue of foreign
exchange. The new 4 manual pipe organ cost $1.6 million [US dollars].
I discussed the fund raising exercise in my book on TKE Phillips in
the chapter titled "The Cathedral Organs" in which I traced
the history of pipe organs at the church from the very first
harmonium in late 19th century to the present one.
--Again,
you're correct to note that the organ tradition is vibrant in
Nigeria. In fact, I just shipped my complete organ work and other
compositions to the author of one of the articles you cited, an
organist and choir director at Ibadan. He has been asking for my
compositions for over a year. He finally got them this week and he
has started practicing, getting ready to start playing the pieces at
services, weddings, and concerts. I also heard from another young
organist in Lagos who asked for my organ music last year. He reported
to me this week that he has been playing my music at concerts,
weddings and services. In fact, he is getting ready to play another
recital very soon. I made sure that I have some individuals with my
complete published compositions in Nigeria and the cathedral church
in Lagos is one of them. So when organists write me that they need my
music, I simply refer them to those people or the cathedral.
Have
a great weekend!
GS.
[Godwin Sadoh, D.M.A.]
Bill, thanks a million for posting this article including Mike's comments and my response. I am very grateful. GS. [Godwin Sadoh, D.M.A.]
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