The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye has intimated that his membership with a youth choir was terminated over a bad singing voice in his youthful days.
According to Mr. Asenso-Boakye, singing in a choir has been a dream he had always hoped to see materialise. However, having successfully joined one, his membership was short-lived.
“As a Member of the Methodist Church, I have always loved to watch the choirs singing, especially when the choristers are processing at the chapel.
“As I kept enjoying this from infancy, I tried being part of the choir, but one day, the Choir Master told me not to come for rehearsal again since my voice was not good for singing.
“I knew I didn’t have a good voice, so I succumbed to his instruction,” he recounted.
The Minister who doubles as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama Constituency in the Ashanti Region, noted that his dismissal from the choir did not squelch his interest in Choral Music.
However, his interest still vested in it, Mr. Asenso-Boakye said he was motivated to establish the Bantama Youth Choir to “engage the youth of the constituency in the worthwhile pursuits.”
He made the disclosure during the inauguration of the Bantama Youth Choir on the sidelines of a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, a programme which was held on Saturday, December 11, 2021, at A.T. Nartey Assembly of the Pentecost Church at Bantama.
The MP believes that the good training he had at the Sunday School and Boys Brigade in the Methodist Church while a child and youth, helped to shape his life better for the challenges and responsibilities in his career and entire life today.
In light of that, he founded the Bantama Youth Choir to turn the singing talents of the youth into skills and to train them to be resourceful in order to be able to contribute to national development as well as uphold strong Christian values amongst the youth.
He said he wants to build the Bantama Youth Choir to become a vibrant internationally recognized singing group that will be performing on global stages like the Soweto Choir and Winneba Youth Choir do.
The programme was graced with the presence of Ghana’s Second Lady, Samira Bawumia, as the Guest of Honour. With her were the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah; Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kessben Group, Mr. Kwabena Kesse and MP for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei.
Ghana’s Second Lady, Samira Bawumia speaking at the event
Others were CEO of Jeshop Construction, Mr. James Osei Brown and Kumasi Metro Director of Urban Ing. Nana Poku Agyeman; Chief of Nzema and Businessman, Nana Nkansah Boadu; Philanthropist and CEO of Beauty Queen Hotels, Nana Adwoa Dokuaa and Ghana’s Former Ambassador to China, Edward Edward Boateng.
The rest were the CEO of Prefos Ltd, Mr. Alex Kwasi Fosu; Secretary General–Ghana Commission for UNESCO, Ama S. Nerquaye –Tetteh; Head of Legal CIB-Stanbic Bank Ghana Ltd., Board Chairman of Exim Bank and Businessman, Mr. Boateng Gyamfi among a host of others.
The Bantama Youth Choir and a guest group, Celestial Evangel Choir put up incredible performances that thrilled and excited audiences at the programme.
Audiences of the Inauguration and the Nine Lessons and Carols
A stunning performance by Soloist, Dentaa Amoateng, a Ghanaian British Award-winning singer, actress, producer, and entrepreneur made one feel as though they were listening to an opera singer in the New York City’s Beacon Theatre.