#Rosalind Aryee

[choralmusicghana]

Armaah Celebrates Ten Years of “Oye”

Sunday 25th August was a commemorative day for friends and fans of James Varrick Armaah, who joined the composer to mark a decade of his most popular song: Oye. 

The occasion brought many dignitaries and patrons of choral music to the Christ the King auditorium , where they were treated with good music by Harmonious Chorale, Vocal Essence Chorale, Symphonials, Press On Kids, Blue Wave Band and the singing band of St. Paul Methodist Church, Tema.

The celebration also marked nine years since the launch of “Oye”, an album by Harmonious Chorale that first featured the hit song. The album was launched by Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee at the Kama Conference Centre.

Over the last ten years, Oye has taken the Ghanaian choral music industry by storm. Its dominance has given it exposure outside the confines of the country. In recent years, it has been championed by the President, Nana Akuffo Addo, who has called it his favourite song, and has had it performed at national ceremonies. 

Oye was performed for him by a Chinese army band during his state visit to the People’s Republic two years ago.

Sunday’s event also saw the launch of James Armaah’s “Pae Mu Ka” album. The launch was graced by Rt. Honourable Speaker of Parliament Mike Ocquaye, former Chief Justice Georgina Woode and Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, a former First Lady of the Republic, among other public figures. The album launch proper was presided over by Dr. Joyce Aryee, the Executive Chairman of Harmonious Chorale.

During this event, funds were raised to support Varrick Productions, an organisation set up by the famous composer to promote the organisation and production of choral activities across the country. 

Pae Mu Ka, which features previous compositions by Mr. Armaah, was recorded by Harmonious Chorale under the Varrick Productions label. The album was recorded at P16 Studios.

Varrick Armaah holds an MPhil in Music from the University of Ghana, and lectures at the University of Education, Winneba. He currently works as the executive director of Harmonious Chorale, the award-winning choir he founded two years before Oye.

[dnewstrending]

Nat'l Cathedral project's not stalled - Board member Joyce Aryee

Nat’l Cathedral project’s not stalled – Board member Joyce Aryee

A member of the board of trustees overseeing the construction of the National Cathedral of Ghana, Dr. Joyce Rosalind Aryee, has refuted claims that the project has stalled. She has urged the general public to disregard such information and continue to make financial commitments to help sustain and complete the project. It was reported that work on the National Cathedral Plproject has stalled…

[tubeafriqtv]

Direct donations to Appiatse Support Fund - Rev. Dr Aryee

Appiatse Support Fund Committee Chair Rev. Joyce Rosalind Aryee has recommended that any monies meant for the rehabilitation of the Direct donations to Appiatse Support Fund - Rev. Dr Aryee Appiatse community be handled via the Appiatse Support Fund.

Rev. Joyce Rosalind Aryee, Chairperson of the Appiatse Support Fund Committee, has requested that all resources, both monetary and non-monetary, intended for the reconstruction of the Appiatse community be channeled via the Appiatse Support Fund. She said that channeling resources via a single point of contact would guarantee effective coordination and accountability in their use. “We wish to…

[mynewsexplorer]

Direct donations to Appiatse Support Fund - Rev. Dr Aryee

Appiatse Support Fund Committee Chair Rev. Joyce Rosalind Aryee has recommended that any monies meant for the rehabilitation of the Direct donations to Appiatse Support Fund - Rev. Dr Aryee Appiatse community be handled via the Appiatse Support Fund.

Rev. Joyce Rosalind Aryee, Chairperson of the Appiatse Support Fund Committee, has requested that all resources, both monetary and non-monetary, intended for the reconstruction of the Appiatse community be channeled via the Appiatse Support Fund. She said that channeling resources via a single point of contact would guarantee effective coordination and accountability in their use. “We wish to…

[choralmusicghana]

Harmonious Chorale wins Gold at World Choir Games!

On the 10 of June this year at the “Heaven” concert, it was announced that Harmonious Chorale was chosen to represent Ghana at the World Choir Games in South Africa. This year’s contest is titled “Tshwane 2018”. Harmonious Chorale is the first Ghanaian choir to be invited to the competition.

The idea to create an event like the World Choir Games is based on the Olympic ideals, which aims to peacefully unify people and nations connected by song in a fair competition. This idea is supposed to inspire people to experience the power of interaction by singing together.

The World Choir Games (formerly  Choir Olympics) is the largest choral event organised by INTERKULTUR Foundation, a German based organization that promotes art and culture. The first competition was held in Linz, Austria in the year 2000, from the 7th to the 16th of July.

Since it is a biennial competition, this year’s is the 10th World Choir Games. It is being held for the first time in Africa. The event began on the 4th of July with an opening ceremony, but the contest proper began on the 5th with over 300 choirs from about 50 countries participating. The competition is divided into two parts: the Open Competition and the Champions competition, each having different competitive categories.

Harmonious Chorale took part in the Open Competition and participating in 3 categories which are the Mixed Choirs, Musica Sacra with Accompaniment and the Scenic Folklore categories. For the Mixed Choirs category, they sang “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” arranged by J. Rosamond Johnson, “Mema m’aniso” by George Mensah Essilfie, “La Nuit” by Jean Phillipe Rameau and “Aseda Nka Nyame” by James Varrick Armaah. For the Musica Sacra with Accompaniment, they sang “Cantique de Jean Racine” by Gabriel Faure, “Abofo rekyin” by Newlove Annan, “This is the Day” by John Rutter and “Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts” by Henry Purcell. Lastly, for the Scenic Folklore category, they performed some traditional pieces like “Yaa Amponsah” arranged by George Mensah Essilfie,  “Every body bring your calabash” which was also arranged by George Mensah Essilfie and “Oye” by James Varrick Armaah.

Harmonious Chorale performed remarkably in the part one of the Open Competition, which has officially ended. They won three gold medals (awarded based on accumulated points) - one each for the “Musica Sacra with Accompaniment” category (O16) as Level IV winners with 23.74 points, “Mixed Choirs” category (O9) where they were Level I winners with 20.73  points and the “Scenic Folklore” category (O27) of which they were the overall winners with 22.80 points.

We asked the Director of Harmonious Chorale, James Varrick Armaah, how he felt about their success and the reception of Ghanaian choral music at the event. He said, “I believe the choir has worked so hard to attain this feat. Passion, interest, love for perfection and advancement of Ghanaian Choral music has brought us thus far”. He also said that people at the event are eagerly waiting to hear more from Ghana and this is proof that Ghana has something to show to the world. Speaking to Kennedy Dankwa, bass soloist and Head of Choral Management of the choir and a member of the World Youth Choir, he asserted that he felt very happy and excited for Ghana and that Ghanaian music was received and embraced by all the people as they really loved it.

Harmonious Chorale signed up for the Part one of the Open Competition and therefore will not be staying throughout the event.

We enquired from the Public Relations and Publicity Director of Harmonious Chorale, Emmanuel Osae-Nyarko, about some comments and reactions of other people at the event. He told the Choral Music Ghana crew that, people were surprised about the ability of a Ghanaian choir to switch from traditional music to classical music. Feedback from a South African couple who said “From today, our perception of Ghana has changed” was very humbling.

We also asked him what his participation in the contest meant to him personally. He highlighted two contrasting reactions. First, the quality of the event and attention to detail, time consciousness and the fraternizing with like-minded people with similar interests were very memorable. In his words, “It will take years for this to wear off.”

He however had concerns about his country’s ability to host such an event. In a moment of self-assessment, he reckoned that Ghana may not be ready to pull off “even 10% of what would be required to host the event.” From issues with transportation, availability of theatres and concert halls, the continuous supply of electricity and accommodation of over ten thousand singers in one city, in one location, the resources needed to host an edition of the World Choir Games require more than we can manage at the moment.

“We as a people need to rise up and see that developing the Human Potential is the greatest asset we have got and stop the over reliance on Natural Resources”, he added.

We also spoke to the Principal Organist of Harmonious Chorale, Augustine Kweku Sobeng. He expressed how grateful he is to God for an opportunity such as this. He said, “It is awesome that in such a little time, we were able to put together all the acts and musical details for this competition.” 

He stated that they met great choirs who had awesomeness up their sleeves and that they have learnt so much from them. “We are grateful to have won a gold diploma in all categories in which we participated and the overall best in scenic folklore”.

Talking about people’s feelings towards Ghanaian music, he added, “Ghanaian music was in stride at this INTERKULTUR event in Pretoria. We, and our songs were really mostly all over the place. We made so many friends and admirers and we appreciated and loved other cultures as well.

One question remained unanswered: why Harmonious Chorale did not participate in the “Champions Competition”. On this, we found out that the champions competition is closed to new entrants, and comes with an extensive list of requirements for qualification. Some of these include;

International competitive experience and a proven level of achievement or proof of comparable artistic level,

Being listed among the top 500 of the MUSICA MUNDI World Ranking List which is available at interkultur.com,

Having won a Gold medal at World Choir Games since 2013,

Reception of a recommendation diploma for the Champions Competition in a previous INTERKULTUR event,

This suggests to us that, since Harmonious Chorale has won more than one gold medal, they may be eligible to partake in the Champions Competition in the next World Choir Games.

This year’s event is expected to end in a week's time, on the 14th of July.

[choralmusicghana]

Thousands Join Harmonious Chorale’s First Major Online Concert

The Harmonious Chorale Ghana mesmerized choral music lovers once again with their performances at this year's edition of Festival of Praise and Worship which was dubbed “Virtual Experience”.

This concert which attracted views from all walks of life to the YouTube channel of the choir showcased the innovation and versatility of the 2018 World Choir Games champions during this pandemic. COVID-19 restrictions have hampered many activities globally, but that has barely affected the ability of the choir to promote its brand and music. Harmonious Chorale have been hosting a series of virtual worship ministrations since the country was hit by the pandemic.

The much anticipated and well-promoted concert, under the baton of the renowned composer and conductor Mr James Varrick Armaah, who is also  the executive director of the group, was broadcast live from the Christ the King Parish Hall in Accra. 

The programme commenced with a series of soothing and beautiful hymns, anthems and highlifes sang by the choir. The performances were well embellished with aesthetic instrumentation and lovely solo renditions of compositions from both prominent indigenous and foreign composers, including pieces from WA Mozart’s Requiem in D, Sekyi Baidoo’s “Tell Me the Old, Old Story”, Harvey Essilfie’s Makokyem Nyame and Armaah’s own Onyame Akasa.

The exciting performances drew a lot of appreciation and enthusiastic commentary from over eight thousand viewers. The massive online reach is testament to the choir’s strong brand and presence within and outside their home country.

The music was interspersed with scripture readings from Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, as well as inspirational messages admonishing believers to trust in God, not only in these trying times. She led the choir in a short memorial prayer for those who have lost loved ones due to the ongoing pandemic, health workers and the leadership of the country who are leading the fight against COVID-19. 

She hinted that the choir will have more virtual concerts in part due to its spectacular reach.

The choir will resume their virtual Weekend Worship in August.

[choralmusicghana]

The Impact of Social Media on Ghanaian Choral Music: A Tool for Growth

The resurgence of choral music in Ghana in the last decade has been catapulted by the emergence of social media. Social media has helped many institutions and groups reach out to their audiences across boundaries. The Ghanaian choral music industry has benefited greatly from this innovation.

It's such a joy these days to hear of emerging choirs - even from backwaters - reaching out to the world with their musical talents through social media. 

Maya Dollarhide defined social media as 

"... computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through the building of virtual networks and communities."

I really like this definition because it breaks down the concept into its constituent elements. There has been a recent proliferation of online communities through which Ghanaians engage in this new medium. Most of these are the major online hubs of social content: Facebook. Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and even YouTube.

The presence of choral groups on these sites suggests how important they have become to the choral music industry. Most choirs take social media more seriously than their traditional websites.

The days of people experiencing musical performances primarily through CDs, DVDs and cassettes at home or in cars - like was in my day - are behind us. When I was younger, I was privileged to hear the Winneba Youth Choir only on a visit to my reverend minister’s home. And that was because he owned a collection of their albums.

The tables have turned, and today we can all catch live performances of the Koforidua Youth Choir, Gramophone Chorus and many other groups without a sweat. The fact that many of us watched Harmonious Chorale represent Ghana at the most recent World Choir Games in South Africa on our phones and laptops was a game changer.

These days, more people are invited to concerts through social media than printed posters. The change has been amazing!

All this is very encouraging for the industry. It's necessary for choirs to increasingly distance themselves from obsolete modes of promoting their activities to fully embrace social media. Not only for communication, but also for profit, with quality content that draws in large, global audiences.

We’ve all witnessed stars emerge from obscurity because of the exposure social media gives them. To reiterate the fact: an investment in the social media game can pay off immensely when done right. I encourage all choirs, musicians and related groups to take social media seriously as a ground-breaking tool that can transform how we promote and profit from our choral industry.

Nii Adjetey Cleland,

Choral Music Ghana.

[choralmusicghana]

PRESS RELEASE – Harmonious Chorale Lines Up Events for 2019

Resident choir of Salt and Light Music Ministry, The Harmonious Chorale Ghana, has lined up its major activities for the year 2019.  In a letter sighted by Choral Music Ghana, Harmonious Chorale starts off what seems to be an event packed year with a Prayer Rally on Saturday 23rd February, 2019 at the Sunlodge Hotel, Tesano, Accra. This will be followed by Meditations on Easter on Saturday 13th April, 2019 also at the Sunlodge Hotel. The second and third Prayer Rally will be held on Saturday 13th July and Saturday 9th November respectively.

According to the letter, “By popular request, we are thrilled to present the third edition of Festival of Praise & Worship (FOPW 3), which will  highlight  Ghanaian compositions and honour the legacy of late Ghanaian composers and of course feature hymns  from various Ghanaian churches arranged in modern style to suit the taste of our audience. It also promises to be a great time to enjoy anthems and highlifes".  FOPW 3 is on 22 April, 2019 - Easter Monday. Venue is the Accra International Conference Centre.

The second edition of ChoralPraise with James Varrick Armaah is slated for 25th August 2019. This year’s edition is dubbed “Oye @ 10 Celebration”. Further details will be announced later.

October which is the anniversary month will welcome a debut event dubbed “Our Talents, Our Thanksgiving” (OTOT), marking the 12th anniversary of the choir. The date is Sunday 27th October 2019 at the Accra International Conference Centre.

Ending the year will be the return of Christmas Pageant on Sunday 15th December, 2019 at the National Theatre.

The choir will continue with its Senior High School project known as Harmonious Chorale Campus Ministry (HCCM) in some selected schools in the country. It will also embark on a Prisons project. Further details on these outreach programmes will be given in the course of the year.

For further details, enquires and sponsorship kindly visit  www.harmoniouschoraleghana.org  or contact the Public Relations & Publicity Director, Emmanuel Osae-Nyarko via email info@harmoniouschoraleghana.org

Harmonious Chorale Ghana, is a multiple award winning non - denominational choir with the aim of promoting Ghanaian and African Choral Music and Classical Music.  Established in the capital, Accra in 2005 as a quartet and later transforming into a full-fledged choir in October 2007, through dedication and hard-work, Harmonious Chorale has carved for itself a niche and an identity which has provided mentoring opportunity for many choral groups in and outside Ghana. 

Harmonious Chorale was crowned Champion of the World Choir Games (Category C28) in its maiden participation in 2018 in South Africa. 

Rev. Dr. Joyce Rosalind Aryee serves as the Executive Chairman of the choir.  The choir is under the directorship of James Varrick Armaah.

[choralmusicghana]

Harmonious Chorale Announces 10th Anniversary

Harmonious Chorale, Ghana’s foremost choral ensemble, is 10 years this year. Founded as a quartet in 2005, and then as a choir in 2007, the group has grown under the leadership of James Varrick Armaah and Miss Joyce Aryee into a formidable brand that displays the best of contemporary Ghanaian choral music to the world.

The prestige of the choir has drawn a lot of interest from Ghanaians. Armaah’s group is largely recognised as one of the main contributors to the so-called choral music renaissance in the country.

A decade of dedication to music is not a small feet. As is now expected from the choir, the celebration of this milestone is grand. A total of six events spread across the year have been planned in the name of the celebration. Beginning this month, the series of concerts, charitable events and conferences promises a lot of excitement for enthusiasts.

Below is the full text of the press-release:

HARMONIOUS CHORALE - GHANA CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY.

Harmonious Chorale - Ghana, an international interdenominational choir located in Accra, celebrates a decade of God’s goodness. Patrons and lovers of the choral music fraternity in Ghana would be thrilled with what promises to be an exciting exhibition of choral finesse through its yearlong celebration.

The schedule of events for the year is as follows:

Time with Patrons –  Saturday, 11th February, 2017.

Festival of Praise and Worship 2 – Sunday, 30th April, 2017.

Joyce Rosalind Aryee International Conference of Choirs (JRAICC) and Oratorio - Thursday 29th June – Sunday 2nd July, 2017.

Dinner, Awards & HC Talent Night –  Saturday 9th September, 2017.

10th Anniversary Concert – Sunday, 29th October, 2017.

Pre-Christmas Concert – Sunday,10th December, 2017.                                                    

In addition to the aforementioned, the choir would make donations to selected orphanages, prisons and hospitals throughout the year.

Harmonious Chorale (HC) emerged on the choral music scene as a quartet in 2005 and gradually developed into a choral group in 2007. The choir has as its objective, the promotion of the compositions of Ghanaian and African choral and classical musicians as well as the performance of all kinds of choral music to evangelize and minister to the world. HC is blessed with a plethora of music talents with a membership of about fifty (50) singers and a unique “keyboard orchestra” of seven (7) who are well versed in the rudiments of music and general music appreciation.

HC, under the inspirational leadership of its Executive Chairperson, Rev. Dr. Joyce Rosalind Aryee, and Mr. James Varrick Armaah (Founder and Executive Director), continues to carve for itself a niche that has seen the choir adjudged as the best choral group in Ghana by the Christian Community Microfinance Limited Music Awards (CCML Music Awards) in 2014. 

The song “Oye”,  aka “Asɛm papa bia mate”, composed by the Executive Director was also recognised as the most popular song at the 2014 edition of the CCML Music Awards. The choir was once again adjudged the best choral group in Ghana at the Music of Ghanaian Origin (MOGO) awards held in 2015. HC is also recipient of the Excellence Leadership Awards (ExLA Awards) for Arts & Entertainment Personality of the Year (Gold Category) in 2015, as well as the best choral group of the year 2015, at the maiden edition of the Ghana Youth Choir Choral Festival Awards held on 21st September, 2016.

The choir joyfully invites the general public to join in the celebration of the goodness of God. 

Long live Harmonious Chorale! Long live Ghana!