Onesmus Embula

WINDHOEK – The Soli Deo Gloria has grabbed the grand prize in the Old Mutual National Gospel Choir Festival, taking home N$50,000 in the mature age category.

 The second prize went to Ephesians Parish Choir who walked away with N$30 000 while Immanuel Mass Choir who hails from Swakopmund took home N$20 000 in the third position. The Sion Youth Choir scaling from third position the previous year bagged a whooping prize of N$50 000 thus toping number one spot in the youth category, followed by Betel Youth Choir winning N$30 000 in the second position and //Ae – //Gams Youth Choir won N$20 000 losing their champion title in the same category last year.

The Old Mutual National Gospel Choir Festival competition attracted 37 choirs from different congregations across the country at regional stages with only 21 choirs going through to the grand finale to compete for the grand prize in front of a fully packed Hosiana Parish in Katutura on Saturday. Following entertaining performances from all choirs in both the youth and mature categories during the first phase of performance, where the choirs were required to perform a song of their choice that tested contestant’s creativity tailed by prescribed song as chosen by organisers in the second phase, the winners were announced.

The National Gospel Choir Festival, through which Old Mutual scouts for different churches talent and passion for singing, also plays a role in the development of group and individual musical talents and careers since its inception in 2016.