By Chris Onuoha

The entire hall was filled with people from all walks of life, especially the men who understands the meaning of classic music and has followed it for years as they came to be part of MUSON festival, and apart from that, many also came to see the new artistic director of Muson, Tunde Jegede perform in one of the events for the 2014 festival tagged Muson Symphony Orchestra.

In the beginning, their expectations were high, but after an enthralling performance at the night by the master himself when he led and conducted the Muson Symphony Orchestra as Muson marked its 18 years in business at the Agip Hall, Muson Center, the audience were not disappointed with his appointment, in fact they described it as putting a square peg in a square hole.

To him, it was business-like while performing the solo song, ‘Mineon Ba’ a Griot traditional song with kora (21string harp lute instrument) from the Mande tribe of the Gambia Tunde dazzled and took the audience to a journey of cultural expedition in a contemporary classical thrill while leading the 40 man Muson Symphony Orchestra.

This perhaps depicts his new appointment as a great accomplishment of his coming of age with Muson and a proof of his mastery of both traditional and conventional instruments forming part of what earned him the position.

The music was so sensual, lullaby inducing, a song for a new bride or better-still a dirge or song for the warriors.

The serenading, the rapt in awe attention, the gaze and spiritual connection with the ancestors emanating from the vibes noticeable on the faces of the audience, all encompassed in this deep invoking masterpiece by Jegede at the Classical Concert night with a resounding ovation that greeted the end of that session.

‘Mineon Ba’, the third song on the line of songs of the night was a cynosure of revolutionary classical moment drawn by him in a medley of rhythmic string sounds. After that it was the turn of ‘Lamentations’ a song composed by Jegede , followed by Antonio Vivaldi’s Cello Sonata in E minor, all conducted by the maestro with support from Wura Samba on percussion and the Muson Symphony Orchestra.

Although both songs lulled the audience with less impression but the traditional ‘Mineon Ba’ ignited the classical lover’s passion and yearnings for more. The next piece was ‘Let the Elements sing And Dance’ followed by two familiar songs that jazzed up the night, “Water no get enemy’ Fela Anikulopo’s song and ‘Baba Orun Awa’ by King Sunny Ade with Duro Ikujenyo on Piano, Wura Samba on percussion, Jegede on kora, Ebenezer Oyewole on Flute and Muson Symphony Orchestra, arranged by Bode Afolabi and Kehinde Davids.

The second part started with two vocal solos, ‘Mirror of Tears’ song written by Jegede and ‘Una Furtiva Lagrima (A furtive tear) by Gaetano Donizetti done in Tenor by Guchi Egbunine, one of the most brilliant and flexible tenor in Nigeria today. After that, stepped in Ranti Ihimoyan, another prolific Muson discovery doing ‘How Beautiful are the Feet’ written by G. F. Handel and ‘When I Am Laid on Earth’ by Henry Purcell done in Soprano and lastly in vocals, John Eclou Lucien doing ‘Besame Mucho (Kiss me a lot) in Tenor.

The next and final performance of the night was the much expected thriller ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ by Tunde Sosan, Muson’s resident pianist. Obviously Tunde left no stone unturned in wetting the audiences’ appetite who had longed to feel the much publicized George Gershwin’s spirit come back performance.

The opening was in a slow motion with intermittently blast and drop rhythmic session with Tunde’s highly concentrated dexterity on piano keeping all the symphony orchestra on alert.

The coordination and cohesion of the bassists, clarinets, trumpeters, flutists, and the entire violin crew really showed the true coming of age of the entire Muson Symphony Orchestra.

Tunde was marvelously impressive in comparison to New Orleans’ jazz maestro Louis Armstrong the ‘Satchmo’.