Christmas Carol: CSN Bloc Emerges Champion in Ebonyi 2023 CAN Choral Competition
The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, CSN Bloc Choir of the Christian Association, of Nigeria has emerged the winner of the 2023 Christmas choral competition in Ebonyi State.
The Choir scored the highest points to beat other four blocks' Choirs.
While the Choir of the Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) bloc came second, the Christian Council of Nigeria, CCN bloc choir came third in the competition.
The choral event took place Friday at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.
It was organised by the State branch of CAN in collaboration with the Ebonyi State government.
Announcing the result, the leader of the 3-man musical panel of judges, Pascal Nwovu, explained that the scoring was based on appearance, choral harmony, comportment, song interpretation and conformity with the staff notation, among other considerations.
He commended the competing choral groups for their impressive performances, and urged them not to relent in striving for excellence.
Delivering a homily, the State CAN chairman, Reverend Scamb Chinedum Nwokolo explained that the essence of Christmas was to restore the dignity of man and realign man to God, his creator, after the tragic fall of man in the garden of Eden.
He enjoined christians to key into the essence of Christ's birth which was to give us a new hope, peace and life to streghthen the bond of love among one another, and between God and mankind.
He further admonished christians to celebrate the season with alertness in spirit, not being ignorant of the antics of the Devil to destroy the joy that God has brought to them through Christmas.
The man of God called on the well placed in society to extend gifts of goods and wealth to the poor as a means of spreading the love of Christmas.
Nwokolo said: "Celebration of Christmas is not a show off.
"Celebration of Christmas is the remembrance of God's plan in making us what we were supposed to be.
"That's why I challenge us: let us go into it in the knowledge of what is written in the book of Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6.
"Let us be mindful that Christ has come to give us peace; Christ has come to restore us; Christ has come to give us hope; Christ has come to rebuild us; Christ has come to nurture us again, to deliver us from all the quagmire that the devil has put us into and to give us everlasting hope."
Nwokolo commended the practical leadership ingenuity of the Governor which he said has brought tremendous development to the state.
He noted that the Governor's engineered symbiotic relationship between the church and the State government was second to none, and assured that the CAN will continue to energize the spiritual strength of the state by her fervent, ceaseless prayers.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, represented at the event by the Chief Judge of the State, Elvis Ngene commended CAN for organizing the choral service which he described as rejuvenating.
He noted that the vision of the Governor in line with his People's charter of needs mantra was to reach Ebonyi people with good welfare, and urged all and sundries to adopt the yuletide period to make peace and reconcile with one another and touch lives positively.
The event also featured performances by some guest artists, including xylophonists and trumpeters.