It is Christmas again and Harmonious Chorale, the nation’s leading interdenominational choral group, is set to host the 2017 edition of its annual Nine Lessons and Carols.
In collaboration with Salt and Light Music Ministry, the choral group will be performing on Sunday, 10th December, 2017 at the Police Church, 37 Area, at 4pm and under the theme: The Word Became Flesh – John 1:14a. The rate is GH¢30.
Founded in October 2005 as a quartet and later renamed a Harmonious Chorale in 2007, with an increase in numerical strength, the vision for the formation of the Harmonious Chorale was to raise a Semi- Professional Ghanaian/African choral group which could match or compete with world-class choirs in terms of performance (Music in detail), branding and organization.
Under the Chairmanship of Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, the Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries and under the directorship of James Varrick Armaah, a composer and graduate of the School of Performing Arts- Music Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, the choir is managed by an able Harmonious chorale executive committee led by the Administrator.
The Choir currently comprises of sixty (60) choristers and a keyboard orchestra of seven led by Augustine Sobeng, well trained in the rudiments of music and general music appreciation.
The Choir believes in setting standards and therefore stays committed to its dream of staging challenging concerts that do not only delight audiences locally and internationally, but also task the members to improve musically. The choir specializes in dramatizing its repertoires to its audiences, which creates an atmosphere of better understanding and appreciation.
The choir can boast of a pool of talents that include great and well – grounded singers like Kennedy Dankwa, an operatic bass singer and a vocal instructor; Gertrude A. Pratt, an operatic soprano; Adwoa Asiedu, an operatic soprano; Elizabeth Boakye, an operatic soprano and a vocal instructor; Lordina Osei, an operatic soprano; Joseph Quaynor, an operatic tenor; Dr. Cynthia Ewusi Nti, an operatic soprano; Eng. Nana Kojo Kwansa Hayles and a host of other great talents.
The Harmonious Chorale-Ghana has a culture of introducing new compositions to its audience and listeners consistently. This is due to the fact that, the choir has an in-house composer in the person of James Varrick Armaah, who doubles as the director of the choir.
Popular songs composed by James and performed by The Harmonious Chorale-Ghana include: ‘Asempapabiamati (Oye)’, ‘Menimneamenya’, ‘Se bribipapabiwasedaekyi’, ‘Sacrifice of Praise’, ‘Oseeyionawaye’, ‘Nkwagyekuruwa’, and ‘Praise Him’.
The choir continually commissions music from other great Ghanaian choral composers such as Newlove Annan, Mensah Essilfie, Asare Bediako, Amos Tetteh and many others.
The Harmonious Chorale-Ghana was adjudged the best choral group in the Christian community music awards 2013 with the song Asem papa biamati composed by its director. The choir was again awarded the best choral group at the Music of Ghanaian origin (MOGO) awards 2015 and was recently awarded as the recipient of the Gold award for Arts and Entertainment at the Excellent Leadership awards 2015.
