Aroma of Praise: Tamale Youth Choir's First Virtual Choral Experience
The Tamale Youth Choir (TYC) is a choral group based in the Northern Region of Ghana. It was initially established in 2017 by a team of exuberant individuals led by Samuel Dowaana Mensah. The motivation behind its creation was to create a platform for many young people to display their talent in the field of choral music in northern Ghana, and to collaborate with other choirs from the southern regions of the country.
On the 25th of July 2020, the choir held its first virtual concert - the tenth edition of “Aroma of Praise” - at the Pentecostal International Worship Center (PIWC) at Kakasunaka, Tamale. The program, the brainchild of Mr. Sitsofe Anku (CEO of Chorale Music General), has previously featured various guest choirs in the southern part of the country.
The president of the TYC, Mr. Felix Agoligi stated that the practice of choral music in the northern part of the country hasn’t been encouraging, and that the choir hoped to bridge the wide gap between the northern and southern part of the country. He talked about how many of its members who are young and unemployed were passionate and determined to forge a more positive future for themselves.
Most of the music the choir performed were compositions - in various local dialects - by their founder and music director, Samuel Dowaana Mensah. Works from James Varrick Armaah, Kweku Abeku Ansaeku and Albert Adusei were also performed. The founder suggested choral music will be better appreciated by their audience if it were written and performed in their own languages.
Both founder and president of the choir appealed for support from individuals and institutions, as well as help from more experienced persons from the south of the country to help realise the dream of the choir.
Among the immediate and future plans of the Tamale Youth Choir are a virtual peace concert in anticipation of the 2020 General Elections, to have the choir officially inaugurated and position it as the representative of choice for choral music from the northern regions.