Intercultural Worship

Music is the universal language and it is becoming even more universal. The Hymn Society Journal, The Hymn, arrived and I found an incredibly interesting article entitled Music at the Anglican Youth Fellowship, Ile-Ife, Nigeria: An Intercultural Experience written by Godwin Sadoh.

This article related how the Anglican Youth Fellowship at Obatemi Awolowo University (in Ile-Ife) indigenized Christian music. As you can surmise, missionaries brought the Christian faith to that part of the world and Anglican hymns went along with it. Drums and other traditional musical instruments plus dancing had been discouraged by missionaries and the European traditions had been institutionalized

In 1987, the AYF at Ile-Ife did away with singing of traditional Anglican hymns and began to sing Christian hymns from Nigeria and other parts of Africa. The Nigerian song texts are in the various dialects-Hausa, Ibgo, and Yoruba. Instrumentation has changed to include drums, various rattles, iron bells, wood clappers, and "foreign instruments" such as tambourines and electronic keyboards. Dancing and clapping is now standard. American contemporary praise songs are also used, some of the most popular being El-Shaddai, Majesty, and Seek Ye First.

An interesting note is that after this change occurred, the AYF became interdenominational with Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, and various charismatics worshipping with the group.

These people are obviously very much at home in various worship traditions. The traditional hymns were not done away with completely — they still do a Lessons and Carols service! This Anglican Youth Fellowship has managed to become truly intercultural in its worship and feels that this factor is a primary strength. A worthy goal for any church, I would say.

Karla Porter
Music Director