By Prisca Sam-Duru

The cast and crew of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s ‘Pagliacci’, a T.Y Danjuma’s Opera, can’t wait to mesmerise the audience with a thrilling performance at this year’s MUSON festival. The love play described as a stage performance within a stage, is billed for Sunday, October 22, 6pm at the Agip Recital Hall.

This year’s annual event themed, “Resilience” is going to be a double celebration as it marks the MUSON 40th anniversary.

Scheduled to kick off the fiesta on Friday, October 20, is the Chevron Festival Drama. The play is titled ‘Efunsetan Iyalode Ibadan’, written by Akinwunmi Sesan. It is also scheduled to be staged on Saturday 21st at the Agip Recital Hall; with three shows.

TotalEnergies EP Gala Concert, brings to the audience, ‘Messiah’ by G.F Handel to be conducted by Sir Emeka Nwokedi. The performance which talks about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, features international guest soloist, Francisca Chiejina (Soprano). The performance according to Sir Nwokedi, will be enjoyed by even non-Christians as it ‘has everything that is music, in it’. Some of the fantastic soloists who have passed through the school will also join the performance to excite the audience.

 Interestingly, there will be ‘Music Meets Technology’, a session themed ‘Collabo’. It features a panel meeting of tech giants who will be discussing music and technology. The panel will talk about impact of technology on music and how aspiring musicians can take advantage of technology in music production. To be enjoyed by the public also is ‘My Kind of Music’, featuring four distinguished guests; Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, Sir Kayode Adeluola, Dupe Kachi and Sola (Shullzz) Mogaji as well as MUSON Brunch/ Art exhibition anchored by the Bruce Onabrakpaye Foundation and Foli Development Limited.

There will also be the TotalEnergies EP  Micharl Volhardt on the Cello, Louis Mbanefo playing the piano and other artistes.

The MUSON Day Concert holding on Wednesday, October 25, at 6pm, will celebrate the MUSON 40th anniversary. It is arranged to bring students, alumni, teachers and members of the Board together, to perform a pot pourri of music to show that the school is vast in different genre of music. The MUSON Day Concert is also dedicated to Akintola Williams who was a founding member of MUSON.

Announcing the 2023 festival, Chairman, MUSON, Louis Mbanefo said “On MUSON Day event on the 25th October, we shall be celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the founding MUSON by our founding fathers and mothers.

“We have amply demonstrated the spirit of resilience, for despite all the vicissitudes of life in Nigeria, MUSON continues to thrive and to progress from strength to strength – a shining example of what can be achieved by Nigerians.  Whereas the arts are heavily subsidized  by governments in other parts of the world, the MUSON project has been funded entirely through generous donations by individuals and the major companies in Nigeria.”

“This year’s Festival, which promises to be as exciting as ever, contains some innovations.  It will follow the usual pattern – drama presentation – operatic performance – art exhibition – musical brunch – my Kind of Music – MUSON Day celebration concert – gala classical and contemporary concert and closing gala concert.  This last item will feature a complete performance of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ with the MUSON choir and orchestra conducted by our indefatigable maestro, Emeka Nwokedi.

The main innovation in the festival will be “Collabo – Music Meets Technology.”  In MUSON we are alive to the juxtaposition of classical music and contemporary music.  The old and new genres are pitched together in concerts, the digital space and the internet, resulting in a fusion we have termed “Collabo”.

At the end of the event, we hope to have created the requisite awareness of hidden gems in the confluence of music and technology,” he added.

Speaking further he disclosed that “As we prepare for the Festival, we are mourning the loss of two Centenarians, without whom there would not have been a Musical Society of Nigeria.  Both men passed away during September 2023.  Mr. Akintola Williams who celebrated his 104th birthday on the 9th August passed away on 11th September whilst Sir. Mervyn Brown who celebrated his 100th birthday on 24th September passed away two days later.”