Four crowd-pulling choirs from three of Nigeria’s six geo-political zones will be performing this Friday evening (May 7) at “An Evening with Harcourt Whyte”, an event holding at Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Abuja, organised by the Harcourt Whyte Foundation as part of its efforts to revive and promote the music of legendary artiste Harcourt Whyte.

News Express learnt that among them is the world-famous Abuja Chorale Ensemble which has performed for President Goodluck Jonathan and also in front of several other distinguished personalities from across the world.

Also on the cards are the equally popular Achinivu-Harcourt Whyte Choral Association, Arochukwu, Abia State (directed and conducted by Prof. A. Kanu Achinivu, PhD); J. Clef Chorale - University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) directed and conducted by Jude Nwankwo; and University of Port-Harcourt (UNIPORT) Choir directed and conducted by Prof. Onyee Nwankpa.

Directed and conducted by Barr. Everyman Eleanya, the Abuja Choral Ensemble has organised several concerts and performed, on invitation, at several state functions, among them the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Church Service, the 2012 Democracy Day National Symposium , and the 2011 Presidential Inauguration Banquet – all attended by President Jonathan.

The group has also thrilled, among other events, at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime launching of the “I AM PRICELESS” Campaign; Reception for newly appointed Nigerian Ambassadors and High Commissioners; OPEC’s 50th Anniversary Choral Concert; 44th and 45th Independence Anniversary celebration of the Republic of Botswana; and the 2009 World Organ-Day Concert organised by Orpheus Music. A delegation from the Ensemble participated and represented Nigeria at the 7th World Choir Games (biggest international choral competition in the world and the Olympics of Choral Music) that took place in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA last year.
“An Evening with Harcourt Whyte,” says Mrs. Ezinwa N. Okoroafor, Coordinator of the Harcourt Whyte Foundation, “promises to be memorable and refreshing.”

Born in Abonema in Rivers State in 1905, Ikoli Harcourt Whyte spent the greater part of his life at Uzuakoli Leprosy Colony in the present Abia State of Nigeria, where he raised a choir that regularly performed his compositions at the Methodist Church Lohum, Uzuakoli.

Before his death in 1977, Harcourt Whyte composed over 300 sacred hymns used in Methodist Church of Nigeria in the then Eastern Nigeria and beyond. Over time, these sacred songs spread and became very popular that it could no longer be compartmentalised or classified as Methodist Church songs as they were widely used in Christian worships across different Christian denominations.

•Photo shows the world-class Abuja Choral Ensemble, one of the groups billed to perform at Friday’s event in Abuja.

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