Of Strings And
Rattling Gongs:

The Story Of MUSON

in 

The inspiration for the foundation

of  MUSON  came  from  Mr.
Akintola  Williams,  OFR.  It
began with his approach on 26th May,
1983 to  Sir  Mervyn  Brown,  KCMG,
who  was British  High  Commissioner
to Nigeria between  1979 and  1983 and
who  with  Lady  Brown  had  helped  to
stimulate awareness  and  appreciation
of classical music from  their arrival in
Nigeria 
1979.  The  High
Commissioner  and  his  wife  who  are
proficient  with  musical  instruments
organised musical soirees and concerts
in which music  lovers and  performers
both  in  Nigeria  and  from  foreign
countries  participated  at  regular
intervals at the High  Commissioner's
residence  and  other  venues  in  Lagos.
Other  embassies,  notably  the  Italian
and  the then  West  German  missions,
were  also  encouraged  to  organise
similar  events  with  internationally
acclaimed classical music  performers
who delighted a fast growing group of
enthusiasts.

Mr. Akintola Williams's  approach  to
Sir Mervyn was in the form of a request
to assist in organising a group of artistes
and  friends  to  form  a  society  for
classical  music  performers  and
supporters.  He  felt  that  such  a  group
would include people like himself who
'though  appreciating  good  music,
neither played any musical instrument
nor could sing!' Sir Mervyn confirmed
his preparedness to help organise such
a group and went further  to record his
appreciation of the initiative being the

first  time  anyone  had  broached  the
subject  with  him.

Based  on  the  foregoing  and  after
establishing  a temporary  secretariat  in
his residence, Mr Akintola Williams by
mid-October, 1983 contacted Chief Ayo
Rosiji,  Patron,  Mr.  Louis  Mbanefo,
Vice-Chairman,  Mrs.  Francesca
Emmanuel  and others on  a proposal  to

form a musical group. With Sir Mervyn' s
assurance to solicit the support of artistes
and other interests in Europe, the Goethe
Institut  of  Germany  and  the  Istituto.
Italiano Cultura of Italy, both of  whom
had been prominent in the promotion of
classical music in Nigeria, the stage was
set  for  the  establishment  of  a  musical
society  in Lagos.

On  25th  October,  1983  a  steering
committee of the musical group met to
map out the strategy for such a society.
And so the Musical Society of Nigeria -
MUSON-was  born!

The formal  establishment  and  success
of  MUSON  are  due  mainly  to  its
Chairman, Mr Akintola Willaims, who
did  all  the  spade  work  to  enable  the
steering committee to agree on the name
of the Society, its objectives, structure,
secretariat, administration and short and
long-  term  plans.  Subsequently,  the
membership of the steering  committee
was  enlarged  for  it  to  draw  up  the
constitution,  register  the  Society,
identity 
artistes,  and  work  out  a
programme  of  performances.

After  MUSON  was  registered  under
the  Land  (Perpetual  Succession)  Act,
Cap.  98,  a  twelve-member  Board  of
Trustees  was  appointed  to replace  the
steering  committee.

The  logo  for  the  Society,  which  was
adopted in January, 1984, was designed
by  Mr  Duncan  McKellar,  an  architect
and artiste born and bred in Mombasa,
Kenya  and  very  much  influenced  by
indigenous  African  art.  Mr.  McKellar
had then been in Nigeria for nearly ten
years as a practising architect. The logo
depicts 
three  African  musical
instruments  which  he  portrayed  in  'a
style traditional Nigerian and in a circle
or  wheel  always  turning  and  eternal'.
the  permanent
He  also  designed 
programme  cover 
for  MUSON
concerts.

Inaugural  Concert
The  inaugural  concert  of  the  Society
took  place  on  the  24th  and  25th  of
February,  1984, at the  Metropolitan

24

the 

Club, Victoria Island, Lagos. The Chief
Guests  of  Honour  at 
two
performances  respectively  were Chief
(Dr)  M.  A.  Majekodunmi  ,  C.F.R,
K.C.M.G.,  the  then  president  of  the
Metropolitan  Club,  and  Sir  Mervyn
Brown,  K.C.M.G.,  O.B.E.  now  the
former  British  High Commissioner in
Nigeria,  who  came  specially  for  the
concert at the invitation of the Society.
Eleven  artistes,  comprising  Nigerians
and expatriates, presented  a repertoire
of baroque Italian and English pieces.
German  leider,  opera,  classical  and
traditional  Nigerian  music. Since that
first concert, MUSON has arranged an
average of six concerts every year. In
these ten years of MUSON's existence,
this musical provision  has been  made
possible 
the  voluntary
contributions  of  the  cream  of  local
artistes, and international guest artistes
of  renown  sponsored  by  various
organisations.

through 

Schools Competition
In pursuance of one of the objectives of
the Society, which is the promotion of
the  education  of  children  in  the
performance  and theory  of  music, the
Society  started  organising  annual
musical competitions for schools. The
first competition  took place  in  King's
College,  Lagos,  in  1986  and  fifteen
schools, mainly  from  Lagos State and
Ibadan,  took  part.  The  different
categories for this first competition were
Vocal  Solo,  Instrumental  Solo,
Instrumental Ensemble and Choral, and
there  were  three age categories: eight
years and under, twelve years, and fifteen
to eighteen years. Prizes awarded were
cash  and  certificates  for  first,  second
and  third  places,  and  performance"
certificates  for  all  participants.  Since
then,  competitions  have  been  held
annually  and  the  effort  has  been
rewarding as budding talents are being
identified  and  encouraged  to  develop
themselves further. Two of such talents
are  now  studying  abroad,  in  Clare
College, Cambridge and Conservatoire
Nationale Superieur de Musique, Paris.

of 

the 

School of Music
At  a  meeting  held  on  the  4th  of
November, 1986, the Board of Trustees
set  up  a  committee 
to  make
recommendations for the establishment
of  a  School  of  Music  which  will
eventually develop into an Academy of
Music.  The  Committee  made
recommendations  on  the  school
curriculum, staffing, and the temporary
location 
school.
Recommendations were also made on
the funding  of the school. The School
was established and has been actively
functioning,  teaching  in  temporary
accommodation  provided  at  Corona
Schools  in Victoria  Island and Apapa
since  February  1989,  and  has  been
examining since November, 1991..The
School  now has  a staff  of  seven, and
holds classes in violin, piano, recorder,
flute,  trumpet and voice, at various grade
levels. So far over 500 candidates have
been  examined  at  various  grades.  In
addition, the School has a programme
of  weekend  and  vacation  courses  for
teachers to update their knowledge and
improve  their  practical  skills  in  their
chosen instruments.

Site
In furtherance  of the objectives of the
Society,  the  Board  of  Trustees  as  far
back as early  1984 started looking for
land  for  MUSON building  in suitable
locations  in  Lagos.  Out  of  several
possibilities  on  Lagos  Island  and  at
Ikoyi, the piece of land that was chosen
as  most  suitable  by  the  Society  was
located at Onikan area of Lagos Island
opposite  the  National  Museum.  An
application for a grant of the land was

made to the Lagos State Government in
May,  1985.  Approval  was  finally
granted, and  the state government, in
addition,  granted  the  Society  certain
special concessions on ground rents and
on  the  fees  for  the  processing  of  the
building plans.

Structure
The  Conference  Hall  Building,  air-
conditioned  as are all  the buildings in
the  MUSON  Centre,  has  on  the first
floor  an  auditorium  which  sits  one
thousand while the second floor houses
two Function Rooms each of which can
accommodate about two hundred people
,  and  which  can  be  partitioned  into
smaller  rooms.  The  auditorium  is
suitable  for  hiring out  for  annual and
extra-ordinary general meetings of small
to  medium-size  companies,  for
conferences, symposia, trade and other
types of exhibitions, official  receptions
and social functions. It is most ideal for
popularmusic concerts, and forclassical
music concerts on occasions when die
Recital  Hall  is considered  inadequate
(until  such time as the larger Concert
Hall  envisaged  for  Phase  II  is built).
There 
is  a  stage  capable  of
accommodating a medium size orchestra
of  seventy  to eighty  instrumentalists,
two Green Rooms for the use of artistes,
and two Buffet  bars with pantries.

and 

The  Music  School,  in  the  building
adjacent to the Conference hall, provides
permanent 
purpose-built
accommodation  for  students,  who
previously  have  been  receiving  their
instruction 
temporary
accommodation at the Corona Schools
in Apapa and Victoria Island. IGRI

in 

In pursuance of one of the oijecUves of the Society, tufcch is
the promotion of the education of children in the performance
and theory of music, the Society started organising annual

musical competitions for  schools.

:

•

•

•

•

•

•• 

•