RECENTLY, Sir Emeka Nwokedi, foremost Nigerian Musical Director, Voice Coach and Conductor added another feather to his cap with an exceptional musical production in a concert held at the Shell hall of the MUSON Centre Onikan, Lagos.

At the performance, Sir Emeka didn’t conduct the usual Oratorio or Mass by the great classical composers neither did he do his usual dance as he conducts African traditional choral music, rather he produced and directed for the first time in MUSON Centre, a full opera titled “The Pirates of the Penzance” by Gilbert and Sullivan.

*A scene from the musical performance

The audience reception of the presentation was unimaginable as there was expression of great delight as people left the hall. Some couldn’t believe that such a well packaged musical art could be staged in Nigeria because most people who are used to this genre of music are people who have lived in Europe or United States.

On the day, the Shell Hall was near full to capacity at ten minutes after 6 p.m. when the C.E.O of MUSON, Mrs. Mario Akpata emerged on stage to introduce the work to be performed.

Sir Emeka Nwokedi’s entrance signalled the beginning of the performance as he conducted the overture played by an ensemble of Piano  and Keyboards. Then emerged on stage a band of Pirates (in real pirate’s costumes) displaying rascality at the seashore. The Pirate King (a part so well played by Obinna Ifediora) directed the affairs while his Lieutenant, Samuel (played by Kunle Ladeja) ably assisted him.

Also, Fredric a pirate apprentice (played by Guchi Egbunine) received apology from Ruth his maid (Fatima Anyekema). Because Ruth is hard of hearing, she apprenticed young Fredric to a Pirate instead of a Pilotas instructed by Fredrick’s father.

Frederic (25 years) was to get married to Ruth (47 years) because Ruth’s face is the only woman’s face she has seen for he has been at sea as an apprentice to the pirates since he was 8 years old. Ruth also told him that she is very beautiful and Fredric believed her.

Fredric spying some beautiful young girls who came to the beach discovered that Ruth deceived him. She had grown old and not beautiful as she claimed. In annoyance he abandoned Ruth and fell in love with one of the girls, Mabel (a part so wonderfully played by Prisca Enyi).

The Pirates swooped on

the girls, seized them and planned to marry them by force against their will. Then appeared the Major General (Stanley Okoli) father of the young girls who objected to pirates marrying his daughters. Seeing that his bluff could not change the pirates’ intention, he changed tactics and lied that he is an orphan.

The pirates who are orphans themselves took pity on him and released his daughters. The Pirates later discovered that he lied to them and sought revenge by condemning him to death. The Major General called in the police led by the police sergeant (Uzo Enemana) to arrest the pirates but the pirates overpowered the police and kept them captive.

At the mention of the reigning Queen’s name, the pirates surrendered at once (because with all their faults, they loved their Queen so much). There was a general amnesty and the Major General gave out all his daughters in marriage to the pirates.

The above story is interwoven with good operatic singing (recitatives, arias with choruses sung by the MUSON Choir), dramatization and a well choreographed dancing. The costumes were also spectacular and very suitable for each character in the cast. The rare display of beautiful singing with what passes for professional acting by the principal characters was very impressive.

At the end of the performance there was standing ovation by a well-disciplined and appreciative audience. The casts appreciating their mentor and teacher Sir Emeka Nwokedi and carried him shoulder high in ecstasy.