COVID-19 concert honours fallen ones

Penultimate Sunday was quite remarkable in the ongoing saga of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic as CHOPiN, Church Organ Projects in Nigeria, held a concert/memorial service in honour of the lives lost to the scourge.

The concert held on the first anniversary of a YouTube weekly hymn episodes conceived by Lanre Delano, CEO, CHOPiN, to inspire people that there’s life after COVID-19.

The venue was the Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos and in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, attendance was strictly by invitation and pegged at 150 people maximum.

The programme of events began with an opening prayer by the Proto Presbyter, Very Reverend Jonathan BamideleOsin, opening hymn: For All The Saints, and then the welcome address by Tele Ogundipe.

The main menu of the day was the rendition of hymns and there were quite a few of them performed by greatly talented singers that included Wanyinna, Olumide Dada and Angela Loks backed up by the choir and the organists Victor Ashaolu, BiodunFalode and Henry Ujiro on the Five-Manual Allen Organ which ranks amongst the biggest church organs not only in Nigeria but worldwide.

Guests included many hymns loving eminent personalities amongst which were Sir Abayomi Williams, Sir Olusegun George, Pastor OluwemimoOgunde (SAN), Ambassador Ogunnaike, Architect Roti &Gbemiga Delano, Mr&Mrs Ayo Koyejo, Engineer SunmadeAgbe-Davies, Professor OluremiSonaiya and her husband, TokunboOdukale, Prof DeboAdeluola and Senator DrLanreTejuosho, Pro-Chancellor, Unilag, who was the special guest of honour and was ably represented by Lady Chika Nmezi.

Speaking about the event, Pastor Ogunde, who was integral to it, said, “It should be an occasion of consolation of comfort for us. I don’t think it’s actually a sad occasion, and the reason why I say so is that I believe the worst is past and affliction will not arise the second time in the name of Jesus. So this is the reason why I came in here today with the mind that we’ll use this time to assure ourselves in the Lord, all of us who are believers, that God is still on the throne, He’s greater than COVID-19, and we’ll use this time to remember all those who’ve lost loved ones. And our set, Igbogbi College Old Boys Association 1975-77, was also badly hit. We lost five members in that terrible COVID year so this memorial is also for us. Dear ones, good friends who left great families behind, we also are remembering them today. And so we thank the Lord that He has spared our lives to be here and to use this occasion to remember them in spiritual songs in hymns, Psalms and spiritual songs as the Bible has commanded us. So it’s actually a pleasure for me to see today, to see all of us alive, and to see clearly that all those who died haven’t in vain.”

Touching briefly on his COVID-19 experience, Lanre Delano painted a vivid picture of why the weekly hymns are necessary to help people get through such times as the pandemic.

“I was seated on my favourite chair in my parlour on a Monday getting fresh air through the window when I got a call that a classmate had died. The following day and the next was the same story so I resolved not to sit on the chair again. But I forgot and sat again on it on Friday and immediately my phone rang again but I didn’t pick the call until I had stood up from the chair and moved away from it totally.”

Other hymns, including When Peace Like A River, O Lord My God and I Cannot Tell were also performed at the concert which rounded up with a vote of thanks by Ogunde and the closing prayer and benediction by Bishop Oluranti, Retired Anglican Bishop of Ife Diocese.

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COVID-19 concert honours fallen ones