How Egbeniyi Maunasemi conquered Musiquest

In music, there is always a felt need to identify upcoming talents. In an environment such as the Musical Society of Nigeria, where students of music showcase their silken skills, there is a need to present upcoming talents to discerning audiences.

This situation was only so true when competitors for the 23rd MUSON Festival stood on the stage to present their skills to erudite judges.

In this contest, practitioners pitched their skills one against the other, in a lively contest. In other words, students of the violin, the viola, the cello, and the voice, were under four observations. Thus, the musical contest became the selecting process by which maestros are identified, a maestro being a musical personality that has developed his craft to the highest level of expertise.

So, the question on everyone’s lips was which of these outstanding performers would win the prizes.

There was a panel of six trained judges who would allot marks to the different students of music in their different categories. Competing for these coveted prizes were Umeh Valentine Chinerem (voice, tenor), John Ayomide Ayorinde (Cello), Bolajoko Ayomide Emmanuel (viola), Ahipue Esther (mezzo soprano), Akachukwu Ambrose Ezenweani (voice, tenor) (baritone voice, tenor), Obianom Chiemerie Emmanuel (voice, baritone), (eventual winner) Egbeniyi Samuel Maunasemi (Saxophone) and David Titilope Ogbonyomi (piano).

These competitors went into great lengths to convince the judges that their own musical acts should win them the musical prizes. For instance, David, on piano, playing without his musical script, took the audience through miles and miles of music. He played along and refreshing piece. Same as Esther Ahipue (mezzo soprano). She sang in a deep and sonorous voice, which was rich, in which the statement “Rejoice O daughter of Zion,” resonated. She attracted a rapturous response.

Bolajoko Ayomide Emmanuel on the viola (tenor violin) won the coveted prize for the instrumentalists. Emmanuel plays in the MUSON Symphony Orchestra where he is able to hone into his skills. In producing his award-winning piece.

Emmanuel produced a pure tone, which was clean. accomplished and with good technique. There was an uncanny dexterity in his scale passages, his transitions (changeovers) were neat, and he went into deep, morose and dark passages. He achieved so much with so little. He made use of double stops, which is a technique in which the player simultaneously excites more than one string at a time on his bow.

It can be stated that in the talent hunt all the students were victors. The musical Society’s voice trainer is Sir Emeka Nwokedi, (and the Sir that appendages his name) is achieved because of his musical exploits, being the choral master that has transported his various choirs to win encomiums and accolades in various concerts at home and abroad. These include performances in China and Italy.

So, the time came to judge who would be the winner, and the prize went to the viola player Bolajoko Ayomide Emmanuel whose clean and clear notes had been able to convince the panel of judges.

The prize awarded to the best singer went to the baritone singer Obianom Chiemerie Emmanuel whose rich deep voice elicited a rapturous response from the audience.