Choir

The Sanctuary Choir – The Regular (Senior) Church Choir

Before Pastor J. A. Taiwo became the pastor of the First Baptist Church, Oyo, on the 1st of January 1933, there was no record about an organised Church Choir. The first announcement about Church Choir practice was made by Pastor J.A. Taiwo on Sunday, 30th July 1933. This should not be surprising since Pastor J.A. Taiwo was himself an organist who was ready to use his talent for God. A second announcement, made on Sunday, 27th August 1933, stated that the practice would take place every Tuesday and Friday. That proved that choir practices were to be held twice a week, on the days mentioned above. It was therefore in 1933 that the foundation of a regular church choir was laid by Pastor J. A. Taiwo. He devoted much time to teach the choir and the members of the church many tunes from the Yoruba Baptist Hymn Book.

The choir was composed of pupils and teachers from the Isokun Baptist Day School. It was then compulsory for the teachers and the pupils who could read and write to be members of the choir. Between 1933 and 1940, the church choir was fully organised under the choirmastership of Pastor J. A. Taiwo. From 1940 to 1955, the choir was very strong because it was composed of teachers and grown-up pupils. The standard of education was very high and pupils in Standards Four to Six were able to speak good English; and this, coupled with the presence of the students from Olivet Baptist High School, gave the choir a good tone. It was possible then to render hymns in English, and in the four parts. From the 1980s to date, the choir renders more of native than English songs, and modern musical instruments are also being used.