Onesmus Embula
Gospel music lovers who filled the Hosiana Parish church to capacity last Saturday during the grand finale of the Old Mutual National Gospel Choir Festival were not disappointed with the various choirs delivering their best, and thereby the audience that seemed obvious be starving of spiritual music.
The evening kicked off with a tribute to the late Nicodemus Dantago //Hoabeb, the brainchild behind this gospel festival, who passed on earlier this year. His band members, the Ugly Creatures, celebrated the multi-talented musician’s life with a live band as the audience were filing into their seats. The audience, predominantly worshipers created a gospel atmosphere supported by a cinematograph DB audio sound bedecking the venue with their up-to- standard staging and lighting, meeting the soulful performances of all choirs in both the youth and mature categories.
Ephesians Parish Choir who in the end scooped the second position in the mature category were the very first to grace the stage and set the bars too high during the first round of performance, when the choirs were required to perform a song of their choice. Also stealing the show was //Ae – //Gams Youth Choir from Khorixas and Sion Youth Choir who both captured the audience to overwhelming applause perhaps gaining new fan bases for their sharply crafted creativity, well blended vocal repertoires dipped with on-stage discipline particularly during the second phase of the competition when they hummed a prescribed song by organisers.
The Alpha Choir, third last year in the mature age category, also needs mention for a remarkable performance with a song most people related to though not allowed to sing along. The Soli Deo Gloria youth left the crowd yearning for more despite not grasping the attention of the judges in the end to claim their share of N$200 000 in total prize money.
Also in attendance among others was the mother to the late Nicodemus Dantago seated on the front row and Old Mutual Marketing, Transformation and Customer Strategy Executive Ndangi Katoma who delivered opening remarks and well as various church enthusiast.