18/10/2025
Sing praises - to the Lord!
RESOLUTIONS REACHED BY THE OWERRI CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESAN MUSIC COMMISSION ON OUR CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESAN CHURCH CHOIRS
PREAMBLE:
The Owerri Catholic Archdiocesan Commission is a body established by ecclesiastical authority of the Local Ordinary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri to be responsible for music matters within her ecclesiastical Jurisdiction.
The body among other things takes administrative responsibility of the following: to direct, regulate and coordinate choirs, music, bands and other music groups within the Archdiocese (Music Commission Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, 2019).
In the bid to harmonize, unify and improve our Parish choirs in the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri through the Choirmasters and mistresses, these mandates have been given to ensure absolute adherence to the Church's teachings forthwith:
1) PROSCRIPTION OF UNOFFICIAL MUSIC GROUPS IN THE STATIONS, PARISHES, CHAPLAINCIES AND SPECIAL JURISDICTIONS:
A new wave of formation, operation and proliferation of music groups in our jurisdiction has come to the notice of our Archdiocesan Music Commission. They claim to be All-Denominational, Non-denominational, inter-denominational, etc but they are not official and duly authorized Catholic Music Groups.
By this memo, our Parishes, our Deans of Deaneries, Parish priests and Chaplains have been instructed not to permit these unofficial and unauthorized music groups to perform in our Parish Churches' liturgical and other religious activities for this has counterproductive consequences. Our Choristers are discouraged to belong to these free-lancers, this is because, they are destroying our Parish/Station/Special Jurisdiction/Chaplaincy Choirs. Choristers found in such music groups deviating from choir/church Liturgical activities shall be suspended outrightly.
Let us make do with our official Parish/station/Chaplaincy/ Deanery choirs, giving them all the necessary support, opportunity and accompaniments to improve their capacity and service to the church.
2) MALE SOPRANO/ALTO SINGERS' AND FEMALE TENOR/BASS SINGERS' SYNDROME:
Male soprano/Alto singers have been prohibited from singing female parts and therefore advised to sing male tenor/bass parts. This also applies to females singing bass/tenor as they are also prohibited from singing such parts and therefore advised to sing soprano/Alto parts respectively.
In so far as we encourage and promote our male and female school choirs in singing their various school parts, we also disassociate every attempt in allowing male soprano/Alto singers and female tenor/bass singers in Parish adult choirs. This is to check and moderate an unnecessary and unforeseen abuses in our Parish Church choirs.
3) LEAVING PARISH CHURCH PREMISES WITHOUT APPROVAL:
No Parish Church choir is allowed to leave her Parish premises without the approval of the Parish Priest and the acceptance of the recipient Parish Priest.
4) SITTING TOGETHER IN UNISON:
At any Liturgical event where two or more choirs are gathered, they MUST sit and sing together.
5) PRIESTS/CHOIRMASTERS'/ MISTRESSES' RELATIONSHIP:
The Choirmaster/Mistress must maintain a cordial relationship with the Priest because he is the image of Christ as he presides over the Liturgical sacrifice of the mass. His directives must be followed strictly unless he instructs otherwise.
Furthermore, the choir should be reminded that liturgy is prayer and not a ground for ostentatious performance unless the Chief Celebrant demands or requests for a particular special piece to be rendered.
6) RESTRUCTURING OF THE CHOIR:
According to the Music Commission of Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri. (2019), choirs have been restructured to eliminate the position of Chairman, Chairlady or President. In other words, the position of Chairman, Chairlady or President in the choir has been abrogated. The organogram runs thus:
a. Choirmaster/mistress the
b. 2 assistant Choirmasters/mistresses.
c. Each part (soprano, Alto, tenor, bass) produces two (2) part - leaders.
The above officers take care of secretary, financial secretary, treasurer and provosts.
d. Welfare committee
e. Disciplinary Committee
Endorsed by:
Dr. Amb. O.C.M. Ali-Okoro
Secretary/Music Director
Rev. Fr. John Anumudu
Chairman
