The Historical Developments of Musical Styles and their Functions in the Liturgy of the Methodist Church Ghana
John Kofi Brewu 
, Steve Kquofi , Dickson Adom , Joshua Alfred Amuah , Eric Appau Asante & John Opuni Amankwa
Issue: Vol.4 No.1 February 2024 Issue Article 1 pp. 1-14
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ejomur.2024411 | Published online 23rd February, 2024.
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Music has played a fundamental role in the liturgical activities of the Methodist Church Ghana since its establishment. Thus, this study aimed to gain insight into the integration and significance of various musical genres including hymns, danceable songs, and praises and worship songs within the church’s liturgical practices. The primary objective of this study was to document the historical development of these forms and clarify their functional significance in religious worship, taking into account the wider socio-cultural environment of the Ghanaian population. This study utilized a methodological approach that involved the use of direct observations and qualitative interviews. Primary data was collected from 28 participants sampled from chapels located in three regions of Ghana. The primary data was further enhanced by conducting a complete literature review, which included reputable sources relevant to the topic. The findings emphasized the customized musical choices influenced by profound philosophical principles that inform the selection of each musical style for certain liturgical occasions. The research concludes by suggesting that church leaders should take an active role in communicating the importance of these musical traditions to the congregation, assuring their comprehension and continued relevance in worship services.
Keywords: Hymns, Praise and Worship songs, Danceable tunes, Choristers, Liturgy, Worship Service, the Methodist Church Ghana.
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Rev. Dr. John Kofi Brewu is currently a senior music educator at Akrokerri College of Education in Ghana in the Department of Music (Creative Arts). Rev. Dr. Brewu holds B.Ed Music degree from the University of Education, Winneba, as well as Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in African Art and Culture from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. His research interests and areas of expertise are in Cultural Anthropology, Aesthetics in musical artforms, Traditional Music Cultures, and Church Music in the Ghanaian Society. He is currently researching into the role of music in some of the cultural practices amongst the Akans of Ghana.
Prof. Steve Kquofi is an Associate Professor of African Art and Culture. He is currently the Head of the Department of Educational Innovations in Science and Technology (DEIST), Faculty of Educational Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), Ghana. His areas of expertise are diverse and varied. This expertise includes cultural anthropology; African art, global art history; art education; TVET; museums and monuments studies; socio-cultural practices and environmental aesthetics; traditional ecological knowledge in biodiversity conservation; as well as aesthetics and criticism in sub-Sahara African art. Currently, Steve is researching into how to effectively employ art and aesthetics in environmental protection in sub-Saharan Africa and its implications to art education.
Dr. Dickson Adom is a researcher in the pluridisciplinarity fields of Place Identity History, African Art, Art Installations, and Cultural Anthropology for Biodiversity Conservation, Environmental Sustainability, and Heritage Sites Conservation. He is a lecturer in the Department of Educational Innovations in Science and Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He also holds an extraordinary researcher position in the School of Economic Sciences, Northwest University, South Africa. For his scholarly and academically rigorous peer review activities for top-ranked publishers and journals such as SAGE Open, Taylor and Francis (African Identities), Springer, Elsevier and many others, he received 1% Global Top Reviewer Award from Publons, New Zealand in 2018. He is a certified Publons Academy mentor and a Diamond Level Author at Ezines (U.S. A), with over sixty journal publications, more than ten book chapters, and over 200 e-articles.
Prof. Joshua Alfred Amuah is an Associate Professor of Music Theory & Composition, and former Head, Department of Music, University of Ghana, School of Performing Arts, Legon. He holds a Ph.D in Music from University of Ghana, Legon in collaboration with University of Rochester, USA, and teaches Music Theory and Composition and other courses related to African Art Music. Prof. Amuah is a fellow of the African Humanities Programme of the American Council of Learned Societies, and a member of American Choral Directors Association. His research interest spans across choral, theory and African art music. He has authored ten (10) books and has enormous research publications on Ghanaian choral musical analysis, composition, and performance practices. He has patronised unnumerable international and local conferences.
Prof. Eric Appau Asante is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Innovations in Science and Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He is currently the Director of E-learning at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and it affiliate institutions and campuses. He received his PhD and B.A. degrees from KNUST, Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Education, Winneba. He has a reputation as a Teacher Educationist, art aesthetician, researcher and teacher with outstanding record of publications scholarly articles, essays, and numerous professional research presentations. His research areas/interests are diverse and varied. They include E-Learning, Instructional Designing and Performance Improvement, Educational Research, Curriculum Studies, Foundations of Education, Philosophy and Culture, Philosophy and Education, Gender and Sociology and Blended Learning.
Dr. John Opuni Amankwa is a graphic designer, educator, and digital photographer living in Kumasi, Ghana. He has a diverse creative portfolio that includes commercial and self-initiated design and photography projects. He holds a Ph. D. and double master’s degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in African Art and Culture and Communication Design. He is currently a part-time lecturer in the Department of Communication Design. Since 2011, he’s maintained an autonomous design and photography studio, as well as extensive cross-disciplinary collaborations in higher education, research, multimedia and Africa Art and Culture. Along with all of this, he periodically runs photography workshops across the country.
Brewu, John Kofi, Kquofi, Steve, Adom, Dickson, Amuah, Joshua Alfred, Asante, Eric Appau and Amankwa,John Opuni. “The Historical Developments of Musical Styles and their Functions in the Liturgy of the Methodist Church Ghana,” E-Journal of Music Research 4, no.1 (2024): 1-14. https://doi.org/10.38159/ejomur.2024411
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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