By Osa Mbonu-Amadi, Arts Editor.

Saturday 27 April 2019 marked another important milestone in the progress of the yearly Kien and Friends classical music concert which debuted in 2013. The venue as usual was the prestigious Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

By 3.00 p.m., the reception area of the Agip hall was busy with the polished guests which usually constitute lovers of classical music. They were there to feed on small chops and cocktail which the organizers provided in abundance. The air from the giant air-conditioner was cold and lightening was mild.

Soon the guests moved into the hall and the performers came to the stage after the keynote address by Prof. Barclays Ayakoroma, former Executive Secretary/CEO, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO).

Kien

Kiendigi Doibo (Kien) opened the performance in a violin duet with Mr. Theophilus Okang. They performed “Twin brothers” by Coreli which was followed by Damilare Ojekele on saxophone accompanied by Mr. Adeosun. They performed “A Kwela for Caitlin” by Richard Micheal and “Nocturne” by Alan Haughton.

Kien returned to perform Robert Schumann’s “Frohlicher Landmann”, a short piece with a waltz rhythm. She was followed immediately by Ebunoluwa Olaopa who performed two piano pieces: “The Reef No. 5 from the southern seas” and “Holiday in Paris” by Walter Carroll and William Gillock respectively.

Kien, like the dominant in a major scale, returned with Mr. Okang in a four-hand duet on the piano. They performed Johann Strauss’ “An der Schonen Blasen Donau – an emotionally laden piece, full of ‘sunshine’, evoking happiness and nostalgia at the same time.

Next, God’s Abundance Chiadika took the stage. He did four pieces: “Chanson’ de matin” (morning Song), op. 15 No.2, by Edward Elgar; “Sonatina in A minor by George Benda; “German Dance in B flat No. 06” by Ludwig Van Beethoven; and “Rondo” by Anthon Andre. The morning song actually evoked feelings of freshness, cool and calm, while the Sonatina in A minor turned out to be hot, loud, and fast in contrast to the morning song.

Kien (on violin) and Okang took the stage again as they did J.F Mazas’ “Pranks” before Feranmi Olaitan on his clarinet, accompanied by Mr. Adeosun, went on a marathon of hymnals, all of which connected with the audience as familiar church songs. He sang with his clarinet: “Great is thy faithfulness”, “O God our help in ages past”, “Old rugged cross” and “Jolly Good Fellow”.

As one of the most spectacular performances of the evening, Adetoke Adeosun (violin) and her father, Mr. Adeosun (on the piano) did the only traditional song of the evening – “Iseoluwa” a traditional Yoruba song. True to African songs, the danceable “Iseoluwa” would have brought the audience up on their feet if it had not been uncustomary to do so in classical music concerts.

Kien (on violin) and Okang (on piano) doing “Take Five” by Paul Desmond appeared to have introduced perhaps the youngest performer in the concert, Owoturufa Taisosa who did violin pieces, “May Song” (folk), “Go tell Aunty Rhody” (folk); “Ecossaise” by Beethoven; “Elenke” (a Bulgarian traditional song) and “My Invention” by Nancy & Randal Faber.

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The ‘dominant’ Kien and probably ‘sub-dominant’ Theophilus Okang returned to perform “Grand after the scotch humor” by Nichol Matteis (piano and violin) and “At the race” by Pleyel (two violins). The duet with two violins by Kien and Theophilus turned out to be the proverbial best wine which was reserved for the tail end of the event. The music, “At the race” was actually a race between Kien and Okang – to the end of a hilarious evening of classical music performances.

Fielding questions from journalists after the event, Mrs. Albertine Doibo, mother of Kien and convener of the Kien and Friends annual classical music concert said “every year has been an improvement from the last, even in terms of presentation. The quality of the music the children play has improved a lot. So there is some kind of upward progression in the performances.”

On what inspired the Kien and Friends classical music concert, Mrs. Doibo said it was the lack of meanings and messages in what is called popular music nowadays that inspired her into the initiative. “There is too much noise and shouting (in pop music of today) and that made me to look back at where I was coming from when I was growing up. My father used to have the LPs (Long Plates) of classical music records. So I decided to go back to that.” She said if children have no opportunities to exhibit their talents after learning songs and practicing, they may be discouraged and begin to question why they have to do all that. “It is like a reward to the children for their efforts and perseverance.”

On how she has been able to sustain the concert given the huge financial commitment it requires, Mrs. Doibo said the concert has been her yearly Christmas give-back to society. “Last year we couldn’t get enough kids to perform, so we moved it to Easter.”

She appealed that more people should come to see the children perform and also for more children to come and perform. She said whoever finds it his or her heart to support the concert in anyway can do so. “But what is more important to me is that more children should practice and come and perform.”