“Answer to payers is a sign that God listens to prayer,” was how the festival preacher, Pastor Olugbenga Adefarakan, started the sermon that plugged the intermission of the event. It was the 74th Choir Festival of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Yaba, last Sunday.
The festival, an annual ritual of the choir that is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM), United Kingdom (UK), draws professionals in the music world, especially Nigerians, to the old church. Last year, UK-based Chike Chikezie-Michael, who wowed the audience with his super baritone voice. This year, it was the turn of pianist/composer, Seun Owoaje who mounted the podium, after the processional hymn, to conduct the introit, ‘Oluwa n’soro’ which he composed.
At the event, different genres of music were fused into Gospel lyrics. An example is ‘Je ka lo fiyin F’Oluwa’ arranged by the organist, Ayo Ajayi. The song, which brought into the auditorium a tradition Yoruba highlife rhythm with saxophone accompaniment, jerked up many of those who love old school highlife from their seats to dancing mood. Another is ‘Just the beginning’, which is performed in contemporary Pentecostal Gospel music fashion.
Continuing the sermon, Adefarakan noted that God answers all prayers but in diverse ways, which, sometimes, the human fails to understand. The three ways God answers prayers, he added, are yes, wait and no. Anyway, the prayer has been answered.
God may answer “no” when what was asked is not for our good, and “wait” when what was asked is not an imediate need, he pointed out.
He further said: “When you pray, understand that God answers prayer. Understand also that prayer is communication which needs feedback.
“Like the telephone conversation, when you pray and nothing happens, retry. Until something happens, David would not let God be.”
The conditions that move God to answer prayers, according to cleric, include: living a holy life, faith, abiding in God, and accompanying prayer with praise.
Prior to the festival proper, which kicked off by 5pm, there were rededication service at 7am and thanksgiving service by 10am.
The festival started with a mini concert, which featured a male choir that rendered ‘Adaba Orun’ by ‘Jibola Oluyelu, and a trumpet solo that performed ‘Fantasie Impromptu’ by Frederic Chopin and ‘Trumpet Concerto’ in E by Franz Hayden.
Also at the mini concert, the choir performed ‘In Christ Alone’ composed by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend and the male voices did ‘E! Yahweh’ arranged by Ayo Oluranti.
As an independent Pentecostal Church, the CAC chants responsorial psalms like orthodox churches. At the event, Psalm 55 was rendered on F minor key as composed by L. Flintoft. Conducted by Ajayi, the choir, at some point, beautifully modulated to G.J. Bennett’s A major till the end of the song.
Again, after the sermon, the choir thrilled the congregation with an anthem adapted from the same Psalm 55. With a soprano solo, the choir finished to an applause.
Ajayi was not done yet. After the congregational hymn, ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus’, the organist was seen at the podium. Bringing his tutelage under professor of music, Laz Ekwueme, he turned a simple local street song – which has been sung in virtually every Nigerian language – to one academic piece. With a bass introduction, a baritone solo and choir, ‘Jehovah Wa’ reverberated the whole auditorium before it sunk to a subito and faded away.
Another of his song, ‘Oba to ngbani’, was rendered with brass ensemble and attracted a rousing applause.
Other renditions at the festival include hymns: ‘King of glory, King of peace’, ‘My faith has found a resting place’, ‘Come let us join our cheerful song’, ‘There’s a wideness in God’s mercy’, ‘Life is great, so sing about it’, ‘In Heavenly love abiding’ and ‘Will your anchor hold?’ as well as an anthem, ‘I go dance’ composed by Ayo Oluranti, and Vesper, ‘Oju rere’.
While Sampson Annan (Choirmaster), Sesan Taiwo and Jibola Oluyelu conducted the choir with Ajayi, Gbenga Oyesanya and Tosin Ajayi were at the organ.
CAC is the first Aladura Pentecostal church present in Nigeria and other countries. It has come into existence in the first half of the 20th century, in the then British empire. It was formally established in 1941 after a split from the Apostolic Church which the original Aladura organisation (Faith Tabernacle) had invited to Nigeria.
Its growth was led by Joseph Ayo Babalola, a road construction driver who became its founder. The revival led by Babalola resulted in thousands burning their traditional fetishes. This disturbed the colonial authorities, and allegations included witch-hunting and opposition to hospitals and medicine.
Babalola was arrested and jailed.