It was an evening of fun as the final 14 contestants for Hymnodia reality TV show Season One were heralded to the show’s house at Ikeja Lagos on Sunday. They thrilled the audience with classical and contemporary hymns, showcasing their talents and demonstrating the art of worship, which Hymnodia represents.
Last Sunday was also the commencement of the 13-week contest, which will reward the winner with the Asaph (a specially designed award named after David’s chief musician), N5million and a brand-new car.
Hymns rendered at the ceremony includedOld Rugged Cross,Great is Thy Faithfulness,It is Well with my SoulandHow Great Thou Art. Others were Saviour Blessed Saviour, Until Then,among others. With beautiful performances, the contestants were very excited, commending Hymnodia for reviving the almost forgotten hymn culture among young Nigerians.
The 14 contestants– six women and eight men – were selected through a painstaking two-day audition held at the Lagos Television (LTV8) that pruned the thousands of entries to 200, followed by post audition evaluations by the Hymnodia faculty.
The finalists were revealed through the Hymnodia social media handle: @hymnodiahq on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
A twist was however introduced into the “Arrival Show” ceremony when a 15thcontestant, Casey Edema, a tenor singer, who was the 15thhymntestant, was given the opportunity to battle to enter the Hymnstitute at the expense of one of the 14.
The Dean of the Hymnstitute, BennethOgbeiwi invited all the male contestants to the stage as he announced that their names would be put in a ballot for Edema to pick who to challenge. Edema dipped his hand into the bag and the name of Kenneth Ekhuemelo, a baritone singer, emerged.
Urging Edema and Ekhuemelo to demonstrate their talent as an evictee would only be part of the Hymnodia Choir if it suits him, Ogbeiwi stated: “this is a battle for success. May the best contestant win.”
With high spirit, both contestants put up classic performances. Edema who sang Great is Thy Faithfulness, was evicted while Ekwemelo, who performed Old Rugged Cross,going by the response of the audience and the verdict of the faculty, joined the other 13 into the institute.
The contestants praised Hymnodia, saying that it was the first of its kind in the country. They said the institute would enhance their talent in the art of writing and singing of hymns.
Managing Director of Philosoville Limited and project initiator, Kufre Ekanem charged the contestants to be of good conduct and to put into practice what they would be taught by the Hymnodia Faculty,who have hands-on knowledge in writing, singing and teaching of hymns and music.
Elimination from the show, called Hymnviction by the organisers, will be by audience voting once the performance shows start during the 13 weeks of wholesome fun, which the initiative would run.This will culminate into a grand finale of the show in April, where the ultimate winner will receive an Asaph, (a specially designed award named after David’s chief musician), a brand-new car and cash prize of N5 million.
Hymnodia will be shown for one hour every Sunday on Lagos Television (Channel 256 on DSTv, Channel 90 on GOtv and Channel 118 on Startimes) with a magazine show on same channels on Thursday evening. Hymnodia is also streamed live online via the LTV App available on the app store and on the dedicated YouTube Channel Hymnodiahq.
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