IseOluwa - Traditional Yoroba spiritual

Ise Oluwa

'The work of the creator cannot be destroyed'

My video clip features Singing in the City community choir singing ISE OLUWA -  a Yoruba Spiritual, captured during their Christmas Concert 2015 in aid of War Child at the St Ethelburga’s church in Broadgate, London.

Ise Oluwa 

(The words with English translation)

SOLO

Ise Oluwa
God's work

CHORUS

Ko le baje o
Cannot be destroyed

SOLO

Ise Oluwa
God's work

CHORUS

Ko le baje o
Cannot be destroyed

SOLO

Aye fe ok baje o, K'awon ba yo
Satan wants it spoilt so they may be happy

CHORUS

Ko le baje o
Cannot be destroyed

SOLO/CHORUS

Ise Jehofa
Jehovah's work, Holy Spirit's work
Ise ti Baba Wa ti se
The work that our father has done
Aye fe ok baje o, K'awon ba vo
The worlds wants it spoilt so they may be happy
Ok le baje o
Cannot be destroyed
ase. Amin o
amen. So be it.

‘This is something I can do!‘”
Una May Olomolaiye
Una May from Yorkshire is a talented arranger, composer, vocal director and tour de force among community choirs.  She spreads the joy of singing and inspiration through her singing workshops and performances - sharing her knowledge and understanding of the African songs she has collected on her travels to Africa to local community groups such as Singing in the City choir in the City of London.
Una May Olomolaiye’s arrangement of Ise Oluwa was sung at the concert SING FOR WATER helping to raise funds for Water Aid.

The video clip features Singing in the City community choir singing her arrangement. To watch it on You Tube Click hereThis is something I can do!

Original drawing by Lesley Scoble

The Yoruba

West Nigeria is the home of the Yoruba with scattered groups in Benin and Togo.  They are a diverse people with a strong bond of a common language, and long cultural heritage. They are perhaps one of the widest spread of the ethnic groups that belong to the Diaspora.  

The wide dispersal of the Yoruba to the Americas is due to four hundred years of slavery. Their homeland coastal territory along the Gulf of Guinea West Africa was known as The Slave Coast.

Tradition

Traditional way of life is still observed, even though they are today the most urbanised of the African nations. Family rituals continue with both male and female babies being circumcised within the first month of birth.

Christianity

Ise Oluwa is a Yoruba hymn composed in the early 20^th century by a pioneering church missionary. Today, about 20% of the Yoruba peoples are Christians.

Nigerian composers

There are several music arrangements of Ise Oluwa that  have been written for instrument and voice by the established  Nigerian composers – Samuel Akpabot, Laz Ekwueme, Joshua Uzoigwe and Godwin Sadoh.

For the love of singing! Visit the Singing in the City website

Signing off for now!

it. They think, ‘This is something I can do!‘”

Till next time chums!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Singing in the City at St Ethelburga's

Happy Christmas!

filming

Oops! The timing for uploading this concert of Singing in the City Christmas Concert 2015 at St Ethelburga’s Church, Bishopsgate, London, might be a little late in the season – but, I don't see anything wrong with enjoying a little bit of Christmas in the Spring; do you?

You can see the concert on my YouTube Global Scoble channel!
Watch the video!

 Film Editing

sound recording

The editing of this beautiful concert was delayed due to some technical reasons, and also, to some personal ones, ahem – like I was making a film in Hollywood, for instance – you know how it is. But, perhaps you don't believe me? It’s true! I spent January filming in Hollywood. But, I shall tell you all about that some other time.

 

Sound Recording

I have made sound recordings of some of Singing in the City's previous concerts, but this time, they asked me if I could video it. So, on an evening last December, I took along my recording equipment and one camera; and Daniel Perkin as crew.

 

Love of Singing

Singing in the City at St Ethelburga's church

Singing in the City is a community choir of beautiful voices who sing ‘a Capella’. The choir meets regularly in the city of London to rehearse. They welcome anyone to join and there is no need to audition. Their members range from absolute beginners to the very advanced. All the requirement that is needed to join is a love of singing. The aim of the group is to foster musicianship and friendship.
 

Love of singing

Members' Quotes
(from the Singing in the City website)

"I love the friendships, the camaraderie and the sound"
"It's the highlight of my week"
"Thanks very much for the warm welcome, the singing is great and this is the friendliest group I have come across in my 36 years in London"

 Link  Singing in the City website


Stained glass window in St Ethelburga's

St Ethelburga’s

St Ethelburga’s is a little church that has stood in the heart of the city for a very long time – going back to at least 1250 AD. The church was dedicated to St Ethelreda who was a 7^th-century abbess from Barking. The tiny mediaeval church had been a rare survivor of the Great Fire of London and the Blitz in World War II only to suffer near total destruction by an IRA terrorist bomb on the 24^th July 1993 that exploded in Bishopsgate causing extreme (and expensive £350-million-pound bill) devastation to  the area. The church’s very existence was in the balance with a faction of the Church of England proposing that the ruined church was permanently demolished. Fortunately, ‘The Friends of St Ethelburga’s’, along with a huge public outcry, prevented the complete demolition and secured its future with it being rebuilt to its original plan, albeit with many changes to its interior.


Detail of stained glass window

 

 

You can find a video recording of The Singing in the City Christmas Concert 2015 which was performed in aid of the War Child refugee crisis appeal, on my Global Scoble YouTube channel. Here is a link to the concert -  Watch the video!

Enjoy!

Concert programme

 

Ave Maria - Arranged by Helen Yoemans

Ise Oluwa - Traditional Yoruba Spiritual , arranged by Dee Jarlett

Adiemus -  Composed by Karl Jenkins, choral arrangement by Nicholas Hare

Ide Were -  Traditional Yoruba Spiritual chant to the Orisha Oshun, arranged by Dee Jarlett

Walk Dem Bones - Traditional Spiritual  arranged by Saundra Berry Mussa

White Christmas -  Composed by Irving Berlin, arrangement  by Katie Rose

Coventry Carol - Traditional English Carol

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Composed by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane

Here is My Home - Composed by Si Kahn,, arranged by Sarah Morgan

Gaudete - Traditional carol in Latin meaning 'rejoice!'