Contemporary gospel music in Nigeria: The musical preference of selected modern

churches in Lagos.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Music plays a vital role in religious proceedings around the world, so the link between music

and religion cannot be understated. Most humans believe in the existence of a supreme being,

who they believe has the capacity to help them whenever they are in need of assistance;

material, physical and spiritual. It is on this note that they believe that communication with

the supreme being(s) cannot be ordinary, as obtainable between humans; hence they employ

music as a perfect means by which they commune with the supreme being(s) in the spiritual

realm. According to Laack (2015), ‘music, sound and silence form important parts of

religious rituals, and many creation myths include them in their narratives.’ (pg. 220). It is for

this reason that human history has witnessed emergence of lots of complex musical styles

within the enormous religious traditions across the globe. The diverse music creations

therefore possess various characteristics, depending on the kind of being that is being

worshipped.

Since the sole aim of the use of music in this context is to communicate with extra-terrestrial

being, the creation of such music carries the personality of the being that is being

communicated with. Laack further explained that ‘special powers have been ascribed to

sound and theories about the effects of sound on human and on non-human entities, such as

deities, have been developed’ (Laack 2015: 221). It is less arguable that music used in certain

African religions is employed to invoke certain spirits who in turn possesses some devotees
who either goes into trance or manifest non-human characters which are believed to be that of

the deity being worshipped. This therefore becomes a confirmation that the deity being

worshipped has descended amongst them, and that their act of worship has become accepted.

It is important to note that this process cannot be achieved without the use of music as a

driving force.

It is also a general phenomenon that the sense and ides of religion has affected the behaviour

of man from time being, which includes music making and consumption. On this, Laack

(2015) explained that although Western classical and popular music are typically understood

as being secular cultural subsystems, they contain many religious themes and motifs.

According to her,

..these patterns express aspects of the religiosity of artists, reflect

discourses on and the historical developments of religious thoughts
and practices and stimulate individuals to adapt symbols and
practices from diverse religious traditions into their everyday life and
to combine them with each other. (Laack 2015: 221)

To this effect, music making in and around the world is greatly affected by religious groups

and their behaviour, which manifests in individuals whose unifying platform is the popular

music scene. A deliberate attention to every society would reveal a great relationship between

music and religion.

It is noteworthy that the development of Western music from modes up to the standard major

and minor scale is not unconnected with Christianity, as foremost Western music composers

wrote majorly experimented with music that carried sacred texts adapted from biblical

accounts and liturgical texts. A glance into historical accounts of the baroque period presents

two leading composers; Johan Sebastian Bach and George Frederick Handel who both wrote

larger part of their music adopting religious texts from the bible and other Christian
literatures. The fact that the music of G. F. Handel were usually meant for performance

outside the church, but with the use of sacred texts from the church literature strongly

establishes the strong link between music, Christianity and the Church. Odewole (2018)

opined that ‘one of the many strengths that effective, successful congregations have in their

worship services is congregational singing – the singing of hymns, choruses, choral responses

and refrains.’ Callahan (1994) also explained the place of music in Christian liturgy.

According to him, Christian hymns are one of the tools through which people learn the

Christian faith. “People learn the Christian faith as they sing the Christian hymns. The

hymnal and songbook are the primary ‘Bible’ many people read. People discover both the

content and the spirit of the gospel as they sing the hymns of mission” (Callahan 1994:60).

Ajayi (2001) has traced the origin of church music in Nigeria, especially among the Yoruba

to the activities of European missionaries in Lagos and its environs which began in the mid

nineteenth century. ‘The immediate result of that endeavour was the establishment of

churches and mission schools in the south western Nigeria, particularly, Abeokuta, Badagry,

and Lagos’. Music is no doubt an integral part of worship in Christian religious practice. It

forms a vital unit of the liturgy. ‘All the worship, prayer, and preaching activities of the

church are carried out in the modes of speech and music’ (Owoaje 2014: pg 1). Vidal (1986)

identified hymns, chants, canticles, and anthems as the forms of music used by the European

church which were also brought to Nigeria by the European missionaries of both the

Anglican and Methodist church. Hymn singing however formed the major musical

experience of the church, mainly because of its participatory nature which allows every

worshipper to sing alongside the choir. To the early European missionaries, the hymns were

the centre of harmonious worship experience since they could sing the English texts of the

hymns while the local converts sing same hymns in their local language.
However, church music in Nigeria would later take a new turn, as the introduction of hymn

singing which had English hymns translated to local dialects but sung to European hymn

tunes to the Nigerian church in the south-western states brought about conflicts in two areas.

First was that the imposed set of hymns which were European hymns translated to Nigerian

languages and sung to European tune brought about distorted meanings. It is very important

to note that most African languages work with speech tone to emphasize meanings, since a

word could be pronounced differently to give different meanings. This factor therefore led to

total conflict in meaning of the hymn texts when sung to the European tunes. The second area

of conflict was the refusal of the European missionaries to allow singing of native songs and

playing of native musical instruments which were already part of the life of the early

converts. To the native Africans, especially Nigerians, singing, drumming and dancing have

been concurrent musical experience which they seem to be inseparable from. ‘Early

European missionaries to Yoruba land like their counterparts in other parts of Africa regarded

virtually all aspects of African art forms as paganistic’ Owoaje (2014).

The result of the conflict stated above, as explained by Owoaje (2014) was the rise of

nationalist agitations towards the last decade of the 19th century which resulted in

development of the ideology of cultural nationalism which in turn saw the “formation of

Independent African Churches (IACs) that provided a platform for Yoruba Christians to react

against the unsatisfactory musical tradition in which English texts were translated into

Yoruba and sung to English hymn tunes that was devoid of drumming and dancing.” (pg. 2)

Independent African Churches brought a drastic change to the musical tradition of the church,

through the use of native traditional instruments, composition of indigenous hymns, and

introduction of choruses, among others. Vidal (2002) explained that the emergence of

Indigenous African Churches therefore, provided the enabling environment for the
development of an alternative African musical idiom for worship (Pg. 13). At the same

period, there also arose a set of individuals who kick-started the Yoruba native air tradition as

viable alternative in place of the conflicting musical tradition in the older mission churches.

Owoaje (2014) referred to these individuals as ‘representing a movement or school of church

musicians whose compositions resulted from their exposure to common religious, social,

cultural and political experiences.’ (pg. 3)

The succeeding development that followed this trend was the birth of Yoruba art music which

was modelled after the western church anthems, oratorios, cantatas and canticles. Nigerian

indigenous composers such as J. J. Ransome-Kuti, Dayo Dedeke, A. K. Ajisafe, T.K.E.

Philip, A. T. Ola Olude, G. P. Dopemu and several others laid the foundation for Yoruba art

music which was a church form used to complement the hymns in church services. Several of

these composers also composed and published hymns following Yoruba traditional idioms,

which in some cases replaced the European conflicting hymn tradition. Few of them include

orin ni ohun ile wa by J. J. Ransome-Kuti which was published alongside the CMS iwe orin

mimo, Mayokun by A. T. Ola Olude, ma gbagbe ile by Dayo Dedeke and Yin Oluwa by G. P.

Dopemu. “Within the Yoruba IACs and the older mission churches, this development has

been attributed to the works of catechists, choirmasters and organists who were composing a

type of liturgical music referred to as native airs” (Vidal, 1986 and 2002; Euba 1989;

Omíbíyì-Obidike 2002). Despite these developments, the church has however continued to

blend western art music, European and indigenous hymns, and Nigerian art music for use in

church services.

Another aspect of church music that cannot be ignored is the emergent of gospel music which

Aimiuwu (2018) defined as “religious music based on folk music melodies with the elements
of the story of the good news about the salvation of the soul as offered by the Lord Jesus

Christ the saviour of mankind.” (pg. 82) While the missionary churches dwelt on indigenous

art music, hymnody and anthems, the Indigenous African churches concentrated more on

indigenous hymns and gospel songs which allowed them express themselves better. The

gospel song tradition therefore paved way for what is today referred to as ‘contemporary’

gospel music’.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Church music at inception was laid upon the western classical music background. At the

advent of Christianity in Nigeria, church music was basically singing of hymn which enabled

the entire Christian congregation sing together. The hymn tradition has remained till date in

all the mission churches, as some with enough musical capacity continue to subscribe to the

use of western classical music forms such as oratorio, cantata, anthems and canticles, as well

as indigenous art music. The Indigenous African churches too no doubt accept hymn singing

as the basis of Christian music in church services. Some even try as much as possible to

subscribe to western classical styled music obtainable in the mission churches.

However, while some modern churches try and align with the presumed standard in church

music, majority of them keep turning away completely from western classical styled music,

thereby concentrating on contemporary gospel music. Even the hymns are sung in the

contemporary gospel music style in such churches with self invented harmony, as opposed to

the traditional style of hymn singing. Furthermore, several modern churches who manage to

sing hymns although in their chosen style do not have specified hymnbook. They rather go on

the internet to download hymn lyrics which are projected to the congregation on screen.
1.3 Aim and Objectives

The aim of this study is to investigate reasons for the preference of contemporary gospel

music over classical church music in selected modern churches in Lagos. The objectives of

the study are to:

1. examine the kind of music used in the selected modern churches,

2. investigate factors responsible for the choice of music used in the selected modern

churches, and

3. probe the application of music to the liturgical order of the selected modern churches.

1.4 Research Questions

The study is expected to provide valid answer to the following set of questions:

1. What are the kinds of music used in the selected modern churches?

2. What are the factors responsible for the choice of music used in the selected modern

churches?

3. How do the selected modern churches apply music in their liturgical order?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The study on completion is expected to identify the kinds of music used in the selected

modern churches, while providing detailed note on the factors responsible for the choice of

the kinds of music used by those churches. It shall also identify the method of application of

music by the selected churches into their liturgical order.

The study is further expected to be a further research material for ethnomusicologists and

students of music who would want to conduct research in similar area of study. Finally, the

study is expected to contribute to available wealth of knowledge.

1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study is an investigative research. It therefore only examine the musical activities of the

selected modern churches, with emphasis on the kind of music they use in their liturgical

order, factors responsible for the choice of such music type and application of music in their

liturgy.

1.7 Operational Definition of Terms

Modern church:

Preference:

CHAPTER TWO

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents the theoretic framework upon which this study is anchored. It discusses

the theory in relation to the current study. Furthermore, it discusses relevant literature on the

following topic: church music in Nigeria, Yoruba church music, contemporary gospel music

and Nigerian art music.

Theory framework

This study of preference for contemporary gospel music in selected churches in Lagos is

anchored on Susie O’Brien and Imre Szeman’s theory of popular culture. They used the term

to describe things such as ‘products, texts, practices and so on- that are enjoyed by lots and

lots of people’. They also posit that popular culture is ‘high’ culture, that people associate

with their imaginations about rich people who they view to possess luxurious things such as

yachts and expensive cars, and as well, prefer to listen to opera or go to a concert hall to see a

symphony (O’Brien and Imre, 2004). In their attempt to present a more understandable

concept of popular culture, O’Brien and Imre recognized two interpretations which reflect in

the understanding of the two separate words – popular culture.

According to them, the first most familiar use of the term popular culture has to do with

entertainment contents produced and circulated through the commercial media. They include

the TV, film, and the music industry. They identify media as a medium of disseminating new

social practices, as well as shaping the lifestyle of people, particularly those that belong to the

urban areas. The culture created through the media is therefore, referred to as mass culture –

that which is created for an unknown audience, with the aim of securing maximum profit.

The second understanding of the term as explained by O’Brien and Imre, has to do with daily

activities of a people. This entails what the people like to do and make for themselves, a

direct expression of daily life experience which is transmitted in simple ways such as oral

communication. Popular culture is therefore, formed by continued exemplification of certain

practices within a given environment or media space. This is in line with the definition of

culture by Anthropologists, who see culture as the totality of everyday life of a people.

It is important to note, that contemporary gospel music is a branch of popular culture in

Nigeria, especially Lagos. The preference for contemporary gospel music by selected modern

churches in Lagos could therefore, be linked to preference for popular lifestyle among youths

who are musicians within and outside the church. Such individuals have in-depth knowledge

of trending musical styles within the social space, and therefore, have the quest to replicate

same in the church. In addition, contemporary gospel music performance in modern church

could also be linked with pentecostalism which is a fast growing arm of Christianity in

Nigeria. Replication of popular lifestyles which include music in churches, by young people

who is an attempt to make worshippers feel a bit of ‘street’ identity through contemporary

gospel music in order to enhance rapid growth of the church.

Yoruba Church Music

Osigwe (2016), relying on several scholars’ account of church music in Nigeria, posited that

Nigerian church music emanated from the activities of the early European missionaries who

brought Christianity to West African regions around 19th century. According to Ajayi (1965),

Christianity was introduced to the Yoruba people by the European missionaries in the 1840s.

This started with the Methodist church in 1841, followed later by the Christian missionary

Society (CMS). According to Vidal (1986), the Wesleyan missionaries visited Badagry in

1841, and reached Abeokuta in 1846, while the Church Missionaries Society (CMS) led by

Rev. H. Townsend, landed in Badagry in 1843. After several years of penetration and

proliferation of the gospel, the first divine service by the CMS was held in Abeokuta on

January 5, 1853, ten years after its arrival. The first CMS baptism was held on February 5,

1848, five years before the first divine service. ‘Between 1841 and 1902, Euro-Christian
religious and cultural influences swept through the southern parts of Nigeria and brought with

them the importation of Christian religious music from Europe’ (Ibid 70).

Music being an important element of the Christian liturgy was imported by the early

European missionaries, since there was need for the early converts to sing. Euba (1992),

Vidal (1986) and Owoaje (2014) have all stressed the importance of music in Christian

liturgy. According to Euba, both Christianity and Yorùbá traditional religions make good use

of music. Owoaje also asserted that music is an integral part of Christian worship, wherein all

music used for worship is focused on the Supreme God. In the early Yoruba church, the early

missionaries were faced with the challenge of providing music for this new church

experience, since it was important for them to sing. ‘The missionaries were able to admonish

and counsel converts through interpreters but they still had the problem of how to integrate

music into worship in the early Yorùbá church’ (Owoaje, 2014).

In their effort to provide solution to the problem at hand, the early European missionaries felt

that the best way to go was to translate the texts of the English hymns to Yoruba language,

which would then be sung to European tunes. Upon doing this however, there arose greater

problems than the one they had attempted to solve. The first problem was the problem of

identity. The early converts could not identify with the European music which was introduced

to them. According to Owoaje (2015):

...the European music introduced to Yorùbá converts as church

music was both foreign and strange. It fell short of what the
Yorùbá converts were familiar with as music for worship based
on their experience from their traditional musical background.
Secondly, the translated texts became meaningless when sung
to these European hymn tunes.
Vidal (1986) describing the nature of singing in the Yoruba culture, stressed that Yoruba

songs are logogenic in nature, that is, a music in which the words dictate the melody. This is

in clear opposition to the English hymns translated to Yoruba and sung to European set tunes.

Other scholars have further argued that Yoruba is a tonal language, and that there is an

underlying speech melody in Yorùbá words which determines the meaning of such words

(Vidal, 1986; Samuel, 2009; Owoaje, 2014). The result of this discrepancy was the distortion

in the meaning of Yoruba words when sung to European set tunes. This was so problematic

that the texts sometimes sound nonsensical when sung to the European set tunes. Euba

(1992) also observed that ‘1the rhythm of European song is conditioned by the natural

rhythm of European texts’ which is quite different from the rhythm of Yorùbá words even as

they were translated within the metric principle of the European hymns. It was this event that

led to the birth and development of Yoruba native air in Christian liturgy and later, Yoruba

art music.

Nigerian Art music

Onyeji (2016) described art music as ‘a product of Africa’s contact with the West’. He

asserted that art music is a kind of written music that was forced on Africans without concern

for their feeling, since they were not part of any negotiation to imbibe such musical culture in

Africa. ‘Art music is distinguished into the secular and the sacred types, the vocal and

instrumental forms as well as the operatic and theatrical forms’ (p.12). Although art music

has attained significant level of growth in Africa, it has largely remained the music of the

elite class performed in a concert hall with controlled audience. Its patronage can as well, not

be compared to traditional and popular music. Its mode of composition and performance

largely differs from both Nigerian traditional and popular music.

For instance, composers are not usually recognized or given credit in indigenous African

music, while art music is characterized by individual ownership of composed music and

proper recognition of the composers. The performance of art music is also exclusively by the

choir; the audience is not expected to make any comment during performance. The audience

can only applaud the performers after each rendition. Concerning this, Onyeji noted that

Nigerian art music was used by the elite class ‘for social sophistication, identity and

psychedelic display of superiority’. The link between the nature and performance model of

art music and contemporary gospel music in Nigeria could be attributed to their use by the

elite and young people to portray high class in the society.

Various historical accounts of Nigerian art music have showed that Nigerian art music is a

bye product of Christian faith, which was propagated through the activities of the

missionaries in schools and churches around the mid nineteenth century. The European

missionaries after establishing the church established mission schools in order to cater for the

education of young individuals. As part of school curriculum, music was taught in schools, in

form of singing. In these schools, Euba (1995) noted that students were exposed to various

aspects of western classical music that included its history, theory and performance on

western musical instruments such as piano and vocal works. On a similar note, Onyeji (2016)

also noted that the exposition to western colonization, education, religious and social

influence compelled new modes of musical expression, documentation and communication

on Africans. It was the church and missionary schools that potential Nigerian musicians had

their formative tutorship and foundation in western classical music (Sadoh, 2001:2)

Apart from classical singing and choral directing, individuals were taught to play piano and

organ in the European church. According to Herbst et al (2003), African art musicians
emerged in this religious Western oriented education, to compose what can be referred to as

African art music (pg. 146). These composers were trained in the art of composing sacred and

secular choral works, which take after the western hymns and/or madrigal. Choral music

singing formed the bedrock of music teaching in schools, while choral work was emphasized

in teacher training. Some of the early trained composers of art music in Nigeria include TKE

Phillips, Fela Sowande, and T.A. Bankole.

Gospel music in Nigeria

In an attempt to define gospel music, Adedeji (2005) viewed it first from the lens of theology.

He defined the word gospel, as a theological term which refers to the good news of Jesus

Christ, which includes his birth, miraculous power and works, death, resurrection and the

salvation he offers to those who believe in him. He then defined gospel music as a type of

Christian music that principally aims at winning souls. He posited that gospel music was

made popular by the radio and television media, albums and public performances. In order to

make a clear distinction between church music and gospel music, Adedeji emphasized that

gospel music is a distinct genre which is different from church music on the basis of function,

organizational structure and performance – practices/contexts. He further explained thus:

Nigerian gospel music is the variant of gospel music as

conceived and practiced in Nigeria just as we have American
or European gospel music. Nigerian gospel music differs from
others on the basis of language, style and performance –
practices/contexts. It occupies a significant position in Nigerian
music as it is widely patronised by Christians and non–
Christians alike (pg. 226).

Although there are various accounts of the historical development of gospel music in Nigeria,

this study aligns with Makun (1997), Awelewa (2000) and Adedeji (2005) who traced the

historical background of gospel music in Nigeria to the 1960s. According to Adedeji, the
term “gospel music” was first used by the pioneers of the genre in the 1960s. There are a

number of antecedents to Nigerian gospel music. The first antecedent of Nigerian gospel

music according to Adedeji, was ‘the music used by Nigerian indigenous Pentecostal

Churches on evangelistic parades between 1930 and 1960s. During this time, ‘music featured

evangelistic native airs accompanied by bembe (a cylindrical double-headed membrane

drum) and agogo (metal clapperless bell)’ (pg. 229). According to Adedeji, the philosophy

and practice of this music, on one part, that later developed into gospel music.

Omibiyi-Obidike (1994) and Ojo (1998) also presents another antecedent to the evolution of

gospel music in Nigeria. They posit that the non-liturgical music of Nigerian indigenous

churches led to the development of gospel music in Nigeria. According to them, the “native

airs” which were prominent between 1920s and 1950s among the Anglican, African and

other churches fall under this category. Omibiyi-Obidike (1994) maintained that gospel

music was originally used in the church and was also performed at special festivals such as

harvest and thanksgiving. She further explained that gospel music was taken out of the

church, as a result of the need for the youths to have the type of music that caters for their

social interest. This is also enhanced by electronic technology (pg. 6).

According to Adedeji (2005), Nigerian gospel music continued to develop as a result of the

continuous need for the brand of music that meets the social demand of Christians, and the

failure of the church choirs to meet the increasing demands vis a vis their liturgical functions.

The third antecedent of Nigerian gospel music was the music played by missionary school

bands during the colonial era. According to Adedeji, teachers who had learnt to play musical

instruments organized bands and choirs that performed at special Christian festivals such as

Christmas and Easter and for the general public (pg. 229). He emphasized that this practice
formed part of the activities that led to the development of Nigerian gospel music. Adedeji

(2005) yet presented another activity that contributed to the development of gospel music in

Nigeria, which was the broadcast by Radio ELWA, Igbaja, from the 1950s. It featured

ministration rendered by invited talented individuals, choirs and independent church musical

groups.

Pioneers of Nigerian gospel music include Prince S.A. Adeosun of Christ Apostolic Church

Yaba, who released the first popularly known indigenous Christian religious album, titled

Kristi Mo Faraa Mi Fun O (To You Oh Christ I Give Myself) in 1965, S.O. Akinpelu of

Christ Apostolic Church Oke Ayo Opopo Yemoja Ibadan who also released a popular album

Teje Re Ni Ko o Ro (Consider Your Blood) in the year 1965 and Rev. Fr. T.M. Ilesanmi who

led the choir of St. Peter’s and Paul’s Catholic Church, Ibadan to release Mo Ti Ko Le Mi

Sori Apata (I Have Built My House On The Rock) in 1967 (Adedeji, 2005: 230).

Classification of Nigerian gospel music

Adedeji (2005) categorized Nigerian gospel music based on styles, which according to him,

is the aggregate result of peculiar manner of composition, form, melody, harmony, vocal

style and instrumentation inherent in a particular musical expression. In line with this, he

classified Nigerian music into three main categories – indigenous, foreign and popular

music-based. He further categorized them into twelve, namely: ‘native, traditional

“classical”, spiritual, a-cappella, instrumental, gos-pop, gospel-highlife, gospel-reggae,

gospel-Fuji, gospel-Waka, Juju-gospel and assorted’ (pg. 233). These styles, according to

Adedeji, are derived from the practitioners, the audience and, in some instances, scholars.

This section will discuss few of the identified styles.

The indigenous styles are those styles of Nigerian gospel music that derived their musical

elements mainly from indigenous musical sources. This category includes native, traditional

classical and spiritual styles. The native style is patterned after the indigenous folk songs

which make use indigenous language, beat, melodic patterns, folk singing style or traditional

musical instruments. Traditional classical style originated in the 1990s, and it is patterned in

line with pure indigenous Nigerian court, religious and social music. Ijala-gospel of the

Yoruba and shantu–gospel of the Hausa are examples of traditional classical Nigerian gospel

music. The spiritual style of Nigerian gospel music is that which avoids elaborate

instrumentation, dancing and entertainment. The texts centre on matters of heavenly concern,

such as avoidance of sin.

Foreign styles of Nigerian music according to Adedeji, are those that contain musical

elements borrowed from Euro-American gospel music. They share similar elements such as

compositional techniques, form, beat, and instrumentation and performance styles. They

include a-cappella, instrumental and gos-pop. While the a-cappella style is unaccompanied

by any musical instrument, the instrumental style is exclusively instrumental, without vocal

accompaniment. It makes use of hymns and familiar Christian tunes in its melodic and

harmonic organization. Gos-pop style is a ‘form of rhythmic gospel accentuated by soul

music instrumentation, emphatic drumming and walking bass guitars (Adedeji, 2005: 238).

According to Adedeji, gos-pop is well embraced by Nigerian Christian youth, especially the

educated ones.

In his classification based on Nigerian popular music genres, Adedeji posits that they are

those gospel music forms that ‘draw their beats, compositional and performance techniques

and vocal nuances from the various brands of Nigerian popular music. According to Adedeji:
 These include highlife, reggae and Juju in which Western and
African elements are combined, and, Waka and Fuji which are
Islamised Yoruba popular music genres. The styles of Nigerian
gospel music based on these forms are not only syncretic in
outlook but are also controversial in terms of their acceptability
as sacred forms. The styles include gospel-highlife, gospel-
reggae, gospel-Fuji, gospel- Waka, Juju-gospel and the
“assorted” styles. They differ from their secular counterparts
on the basis of text, personality of the musicians, performance
practices and contexts (Adedeji, 2005: 238).

Critique of cited literature

From the foregoing, the cultural nationalism movement of the late 19th and early 20th century

when indigenous elites rose up to defend their culture which was being suppressed by

European cultural practices, played a huge role in the development of gospel music in

Nigeria, since it was the first attempt to shift away from the status quo of Yoruba church

music. It was this and the natural quest among humans, to try new things and acculturate

themselves with elements of other cultures that gave birth to what we have as Nigerian gospel

music today. The birth of Yoruba native air tradition in Christian liturgy for instance, shows

that every culture is unique in itself and should not be tagged with negativity, especially when

one has little or no understanding of how it operates among people who make use of it. The

prohibition of Yoruba drums and dancing in the early Yoruba church was an attempt by the

Europeans to force their musical culture on the early Yoruba converts, thereby underplaying

indigenous cultural practices. This was therefore, a tactic geared towards cultural

colonization. It also shows that new musical contents could be created through the fusion of

music materials from two different cultures, to serve certain purposes such as religious

worship if the intention for use is pure and genuine.

Having led to the creation and establishment of African indigenous churches, the cultural

nationalism also paved way for the establishment of indigenous pentecostal songs who,

through the need for revival songs composed choruses which later became popular. In line

with the quest for popular culture, gospel music has continued to grow with the adaptation of

local and international musical cultures.

 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

This chapter presents information on the methods adopted in both collection and

analysis of research data. It also presents a comprehensive description of the procedures

followed in the process of drawing conclusions for the study.

3.1 Research Design

Being an ethno-musicological study, this research employed the qualitative research

design in investigating the musical preference of selected modern churches in Lagos. It relied

upon oral interview as well as existing literatures, to generate needed data for the study.

3.2 Study Population

The study involves a number of key informants – choir leaders from selected modern

churches in Lagos. It also involves other informants; choristers, instrumentalists and

members of the selected modern churches in Lagos.

3.3 Sources of Data

This study relied on the two sources of data for the purpose of data collection. They

include primary and secondary sources.

3.3.1 Primary Data

Primary data for the research was obtained through oral in-depth interview of the

persons involved in the research, as mentioned above.

3.3.2 Secondary Data

 Secondary data for this research was obtained through various electronic and non-

electronic publications. They include newsprint, journals, internet, published and unpublished

thesis and written texts relevant to the study.

3.4 Data Collection and Instruments

Data collection for this study relied on in-depth interview of the key-informants and

other participants of the study. While the interview process went on, it was recorded in

writing, while audio recording device was used in capturing the interview in audio format.

The researcher engaged the informants, while a research assistant helped the researcher in

documenting the process through the use of audio recording equipment.

3.5 Method of Data Collection

The researcher introduced herself to the study participants, telling them the purpose of

the interview. She sought permission from them, after which she proceeded to ask them

questions. Samples of the repertory of the selected modern churches were also taken and

noted for content and musical analysis.

3.6 Method of Data Analysis

Analysis of gathered data was based on the stated objectives as well as research

questions. In presenting the data however, thematic and content analysis were employed for

systematic analytical procedure.

 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

This section presents the discussion of findings from this study. It presents data thematically,

in line with the objectives of the study. It provides details of the selected churches and also

discusses the use of music in their services and programs. Aside from this, the chapter looks

into the musical preference of the selected churches and as well, discusses the reasons behind

the musical preference of the churches. Lastly, this chapter discusses the preference of

contemporary music over classical music in the selected churches.

The sampled churches for this study consisted of three modern churches which make use of

music as major element of their church’s liturgy. The discussion herein is based on the views

expressed by the music directors of the selected churches during oral interview sessions held

with them separately. The churches include Unity Hill Chapel, Lekki; Harvesters Christian

Centre, Gbagada, Lagos; and The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Gate of Zion, Ojodu

Berger. All the three churches selected for this study make extensive use of music in their

services and programs. For instance, a participant observation of the 2021 anniversary of

Unity Hill Chapel, Lekki revealed how the church employed the use of music in its special

service which marked the remembrance of the founding of the church. During the service, the

praise and worship session was conducted in a Western contemporary style with several

songs fashioned together.

Unity Hill Chapel, Lekki

Unity Hill Chapel (UHC), Lekki is a fellowship built on love, where members come together

in Unity to grow and to become all God has called them to be. The mission of the church

includes to; Demonstrate that there is power in unity, win souls for Christ, Develop members
to be spiritually mature, Develop members to be vessels for the work of God, Demonstrate

the values of an effective Christian community, Impact its local community by showing the

love of God and Help the needy. It is located at The Campbell Centre, 62, Campbell Street,

Lagos Island, while its mid-week services hold at Clear Essence California Spa, 13,

Alexander Road, Ikoyi.

Music in Unity Hill Chapel, Lekki

The service of the church which was observed by the researcher had two hymns which were

sung at the opening and close of the service. The two hymns were rendered in the traditional

hymn singing style, without the use of drum and other instrumental accompaniment. The

accompaniment of the hymns was provided by the keyboard which was played using the

voice of the organ and played in the style of the pipe organ. The hymns were sung in four

parts – soprano, alto, tenor and bass. The thanksgiving session, which was the major aspect of

the service, saw a fusion of indigenous Yoruba, Igbo and English praise songs composed by

Nigerian gospel artistes such as mercy Chinwo, Dunsin Oyekan and Nathaniel Bassey. Being

a thanksgiving service, the service witnessed more singing than any other items such as

sermon and prayer. The service therefore, combined both contemporary and classical

traditions of singing.

In an oral interview of the music director of Unity Hill Chapel, Lekki, he revealed that the

church prioritizes music the same way it prioritizes other aspects of the service such as

sermon and prayers. He noted that music is an integral part of the regular Sunday services.

According to him;

‘Music in Unity Hill Chapel is of uttermost importance. So much

value is placed on music. Such attention given to the likes of
sermon and other important aspects of the service is as well given
to music. Music comes in for about five times during normal
 Sunday services and comes more than five times during special
services. On a scale of 1-10, music value carries 8-10 in Unity Hill
Chapel’.

The congregation of Unity Hill Chapel is made up of individuals who have been brought up

in the Orthodox Church tradition, where music especially hymns are rendered in Western

styled SATB harmony with organ accompaniment, as well as individuals whose experience

of music in church liturgy is anchored on contemporary church music traditions through the

gospel churches. The fusion of two distinct music traditions is clearly demonstrated in the

church’s style of hymn singing which is derived from the Orthodox Church hymn singing

tradition and the contemporary style derived from contemporary gospel Church.

Musical preference in Unity Hill Chapel

Being a congregation formed by people of various church music background, the Unity Hill

Chapel explores a wide array of musical resources which are derived from conventional

(Western classical), contemporary church music, and popular musical arts. The church

employs a creative approach in the choice of music for specific church programs. For

instance, a thanksgiving Sunday could inspire an arrangement of traditional music of the

predominant ethnic groups in the church, which is then performed in selected appropriate

costumes. A Christmas concert could also witness such arrangement, alongside the use of

classical pieces such as European traditional Christmas songs and hymns. Owing to this, one

can conclude that the church is not limited in its musical exploration. As noted by the music

director of the church during oral interview, he explained that the choice and preference for

music depends greatly on the mode of service that is being conducted. He noted thus;

‘The music of the unity hill chapel comprises of various styles of

music. We minister in music such as basic classical music,
 contemporary gospel style, alternative rock style, soft rock style,
African traditional music style’.

Apart from having special services and programs, Unity Hill Chapel holds a variety of

services on Sundays. Based on the church’s plan for the year, particular Sundays have distinct

themes and coloration different from regular ones. The choice of music for these services also

varies in order to suit the theme and characteristics of the service. The pastors and elders who

form a committee that directs the affair of the church could also prescribe music for a service.

As further noted by the music director;

‘If we have the thanksgiving service, we tend to do the African

style or the traditional style of music, when we do the communion
service we tend to do the western style of music (contemporary).
Another factor is that the church is run by a committee of pastors
and elders who come together to brainstorm on how the service
should be run, based on that, some of the songs that are chosen are
influenced by the perceptions or the ideas of the people who make
up the committee’.

Furthermore, the church upholds classical music tradition through its constant use of two

hymns in its services, serving as processional and recessional hymn. It is important to note

however, that classical art music does not feature in the services and programs of the church.

Other contemporary genres are performed during praise and worship and thanksgiving

section, even during prayers. This is based on the kind of members that make up the church.

While majority of the older generation have classical music background, the younger

generation have some sort of affinity with both classical and contemporary gospel music. As

noted by the music director, ‘none of these genres is given preference over the other’.

However, this does not imply that hymns may not be performed in other styles other than

their traditional style.

Harvesters Christian Centre, Gbagada

Harvesters Christian Centre was founded on the 13th of December, 2003. It was founded by

Pastor Bolaji Idowu with a few people as pioneer members. The church has grown to become

one of the notable Christian centres in Lagos, having branches in Ikeja, Gbagada, Lekki and

Anthony areas of Lagos. The mission of Harvesters Christian Centre is to change lives by

pioneering thriving churches in key global cities in order to bring hope, connect people with

God, influence culture and lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ.

Music preference in Harvesters Christian Centre

Findings through oral interview of the choir director reveal that Harvesters Christian Centre

makes use of music as important element of worship. Music is prioritized same way as the

other aspects of Christian worship such as prayers, bible study and sermon. According to the

choir director, ‘music is a very important part of my church service; it is made a priority in

my church liturgy’. A glance at the church’s official website shows a group of singers in a

moving image, particularly a male singer playing guitar while singing. The nature and kind

of music used in Harvesters Christian Centre is similar to that of Unity Hill Chapel discussed

earlier, in that the church makes use of hymns which are sung in four part SATB harmony in

its services. According to the music director during the interview session, hymn singing is the

aspect of singing which represents the classical music tradition. Apart from the singing of

hymns, he noted that ‘every other music is cotemporary; worship and specials are also

contemporary most especially in western style’.

In addition, Harvesters Christian Centre does not perform classical art music, chants, cantata

or any other classical music form. This is based on the congregation which comprises of

more youth population than the elderly people. The church is essentially a youth

congregation which presses towards popular musical culture than maintaining the status quo
of church music. The singing of hymn in traditional hymn singing style of SATB harmony

which is accompanied by the keyboard played in the voice of the organ is evidence that the

church knows what it means to sing classical music, but has chosen to explore contemporary

music basically in its liturgy. In all, contemporary music takes about 80% of the church’s

musical life. As noted by the music director during the oral interview, contemporary music is

the most preferred music in Harvesters Christian Centre, even though hymn singing tradition

is upheld.

Redeemed Christian Church of God, Gates of Zion

The Redeemed Christian church of God, Gates of Zion (a place of covenant) is the zonal

headquarters of zone 1, Lagos Province 5 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

worldwide. It is located at Kings Avenue, Ojodu Abiodun Road, Ojodu, Berger, Lagos. It is

important to note here, that Gates of Zion as a branch of the larger body of the Redeemed

Christian Church of God does not have a liturgy of its own. Rather, it follows the liturgy of

the bigger body to which it belongs. Gates of Zion can therefore be said to reflect the use of

music as well as the musical preference of the larger body of The Redeemed Christian

Church of God.

Music in Gates of Zion

According to information gathered from the music director of the church during an oral

interview, the place of music in Gates of Zion is very important, as music surfaces in every

of their services and programs. In an attempt to explain the importance of music in Gates of

Zion church, the choir director explained thus:

Music plays very important role in my church because it is like the

major aspect of service. When it comes to Christianity, the role
music plays in church services is really important right from the
 beginning to the end of the service because without music in the
church, services would be boring. Music plays important role right
from the opening service even to the end of the service. In the
liturgy of my church, we use music to edify our soul and
communicate God’s love to the people.

She further explained that the church explores a number of musical styles and does not limit

itself to a particular style of church music. The church explores styles such as Jazz,

contemporary, classical and Fuji. However, she noted that the focus of the church about

musical exploration is on the gospel of Jesus Christ. According to her, the validity of music

depends upon whether ‘it is a music that talks about the gospel of Jesus, salvation and other

words related to Christianity’. The inculcation of music into the service of the church and

ministration of the choir is based on the theme and the nature of the service or program.

Music preference in RCCG Gates of Zion

For Gates of Zion, classical music is not limited to hymn singing, despite the fact that it does

not do much of classical singing. The church appreciates classical music, but does not do as

much as is done in orthodox churches like Anglican and Methodist church. The reason

alluded to this is that members of the choir do not possess the ability to read or transcribe

music scores. The preferred music style is therefore, contemporary gospel music. In addition,

the respondent who doubles as the music director of the church noted that the congregation

consists mostly of people who would like to listen to music that will enable them express

themselves through dancing. In her words;

‘That (contemporary gospel music) is our major style of music in

The Redeemed Christian Church, because we feel we can connect
to people through contemporary music. When we talk about
contemporary music, it’s like the music that is in vogue’.
Although the church does not seem to have the capacity for classical music, it explores lots

of hymn in its services. Investigation revealed that the church sings between two and three

hymns in a Sunday service. It was also revealed that the church sometimes hold hymnal

Sunday, wherein it sings only hymns during the service. Despite this however, the hymns are

not performed in the traditional hymn singing style where parts are sung in SATB harmony.

Hymns are rather performed in contemporary music style in order to allow for self-

expression through dance and instrumental accompaniments. This is also done so that the

congregation will not feel bored during church services. From the foregoing, it is evident that

the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Gates of Zion prefers the use of contemporary

gospel music in her services.

Music preference in the selected churches

Having presented the place of music in the three selected churches, this section discusses

general issues pertaining to the use of music in their services and programs. The three

churches employ contemporary gospel music predominantly in their services and programs.

The reasons for the preference given to contemporary gospel music include the need to align

with popular musical culture, in order to appeal to members of the congregation who consist

of a vast majority who wants to groove to danceable music which allows them to easily

express themselves. One cannot also underplay the fact that it is the nature of humans to

explore new things while leaving behind the old things or, do old things in an entirely new

way. Man has always had the quest for sophistication in every of his endeavors. In addition to

the stated reasons is the mode of learning of contemporary gospel songs which allows

members of the choir to learn an entirely new song within a short period of time. This is

opposed to classical music which requires series of rigorous rehearsals before a good

performance can be staged.

Furthermore, contemporary classical music allows the selected churches to explore a

collection of electronic musical instruments which creates and enhance the popular religious

atmosphere which is obtained in modern practices among Christian churches. Finally,

contemporary gospel music allows the music directors and choirmasters of the selected

church to easily get their job done whenever they have to teach the choir to sing. This is

because the music track intended for church programs would have been sent to members of

the choir before rehearsal days, in order to get them familiar with the song and musical

arrangement. This is also because this kind of music does not require the rigor of having to

transcribe or sight-read music scores.

In order to bridge the gap between their musical practice and the traditional church musical

practice, the selected churches sing hymns as alternative for classical singing. While Unity

Hill Chapel and Harvesters Christian Centre sing hymns in the traditional hymn singing style

wherein singing is accompanied by the organ and the voices sing in SATB harmony, The

Redeemed Christian Church of God, Gates of Zion also make use of a number of hymns in

her services and also hold hymn Sunday. However, the church sings hymns not in the

traditional style, but rather, in the contemporary gospel style. It is then safe to conclude that

contemporary gospel music is the most preferred in the selected modern churches.
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The study has presented an introductory chapter, literature review, research methodology and

data presentation and analysis in its previous chapters. It has provided the use of music and

also examined the preference for contemporary gospel music over classical music in the

selected churches. This chapter therefore, presents an overview of the entire study in three

sections – summary, conclusion and recommendation. The first section of the chapter is a

summary of the entire body of the work, while the second contains conclusion which was

reached based on the findings of the study. The third section of the chapter contains a list of

recommendations which are put forward based on the findings of the study.

Summary

In the first chapter of the study, the background of the study is presented, wherein the

importance of music in Christian worship, origin of church music in Nigeria, as well as the

first attempt by Nigerian elites to challenge the status quo of church music is discussed. The

chapter goes ahead to present the statement of the problem, aim and objectives, research

questions, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, as well as definition of

operational terms. Chapter two outlines the theoretical framework – theory of popular culture,

on which this study is anchored and also presents review of relevant literature on Yoruba

church music, Nigerian art music, gospel music in Nigeria and classification of Nigerian

gospel music.

Chapter three describes the methodological procedure through which this study was carried

out. It presents the research design, the study population, the primary and secondary sources

of data, method and instrument of data collection and method of data analysis. The fourth

chapter discusses the findings of the study. It provides a description of the selected churches,
the use of music in each of them, their music preference as well as factors surrounding the

choice of their preferred music styles. Lastly, the chapter discusses the musical preference of

the selected churches in general. The fifth chapter which is the last presents a summary and

conclusion of the study. In addition, it presents some recommendations.

Conclusion

At the inception of Christianity in Nigeria, the music introduced to the Christian converts was

in the form of hymns, canticles, chants and anthems. Due to several evolutionary

events, the music used in the Nigerian church has gradually multiplied as a result of

reinvention which gave birth to the Nigerian gospel music. This also saw the shift away from

the traditional church music, into western contemporary gospel music while holding on to

hymn singing whether in the traditional hymn singing tradition or in a contemporary hymn

singing style. It was this phenomenon that birthed the idea of this study which investigates

the preference of contemporary gospel music in modern churches in Lagos.

The selected churches for this study include Unity Hill Chapel, Lekki; Harvesters Christian

Centre, Gbagada, Lagos; and The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Gate of Zion, Ojodu

Berger, Lagos. Although contemporary gospel music is most preferred in these churches,

they have continued to make use of the wide array of Christian hymns. However, they

employ different approaches in the singing of hymns in their services. For instance, Unity

Hill Chapel and Harvesters Christian Centre perform hymns in the traditional hymn singing

style in which hymns are accompanied with organ and sung in SATB harmony, while The

Redeemed Christian Church of God, Gate of Zion rarely sings SATB harmonic style in its

hymn singing. It rather performs the hymns in contemporary style as the other musical styles

that are performed in its services.

The reasons for the preference given to contemporary gospel music include the need to align

with popular musical culture, in order to appeal to members of the congregation who consist

of a vast majority who wants to groove to danceable music which allows them to easily

express themselves. The learning mode of the contemporary style compared to classical

music also comes to play in the preference for contemporary gospel music. It allows

members of the choir to learn an entirely new song within a short period of time. Finally,

contemporary gospel music allows the music directors and choirmasters of the selected

church to easily get their job done whenever they have to teach the choir to sing. This is

because the music track intended for church programs would have been sent to members of

the choir before rehearsal days, in order to get them familiar with the song and musical

arrangement. This is also because this kind of music does not require the rigor of having to

transcribe or sight-read music scores.

Recommendations

Having examined the preference for contemporary music in the selected churches, it is

important to put forward the following recommendations.

1. More ethnomusicological studies should be conducted in order to unravel more issues

pertaining to the use of music in Nigerian modern churches.

2. Nigerian churches should consider the preference of the members of their

congregation in the choice of music used in their services and programs. This will

further enhance worshippers’ experience, thereby making the worship experience a

fulfilling one.

3. Church choirs should braze up in their music skills in order to be able to perform a

wide variety of music styles including classical music.

4. Church instrumentalists should consider upgrading their musical skill in order to

make them proficient enough to face every challenge as may be posed by certain

music styles.

5. Churches should be willing to invest in their choir and instrumentalist in order to

enable them face music challenges as may be posed by unfamiliar music styles.
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