Thomas King Ekundayo Phillips (1884 – 10 July 1969) was a Nigerian organist, conductor, composer and teacher who has been described as the "father of Nigerian church music"[1]
Thomas King Ekundayo Phillips
Thomas Ekundayo Phillips at the 1932 organ at the Cathedral Church, Lagos
Thomas Ekundayo Phillips was born in 1884.[2] His father was Bishop Charles Phillips of Ondo.[3] He attended the CMS Grammar School, Lagos, then went to the Government Training School for Dispensers, where he qualified as a Chemist.[2] He became an optician by profession.[4] Phillips was encouraged to study music by the Archdeacon Nathaniel, his uncle.[2] His uncle Johnson Phillips, an Anglican priest, gave him his first organ lessons.[5] Solomon Moses Daniels, a well-known organist at Saint Paul's Church, Aroloya, gave him lessons in organ playing. He was Assistant Organist at Saint Paul's Church, Lagos until 1914.[2]
Phillips attended Trinity College of Music in London from 1911 to 1914, where he studied organ, piano and violin.[6] He was given the Fellowship of Trinity College of Music, London (FTCML) in organ playing,[2] Phillips was the second Nigerian to obtain a baccalaureate degree in music.[7] When he returned to Nigeria in 1914 Bishop Herbert Tugwell invited Phillips to become organist and Master of the Music at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos. [2] He would retain this position for 48 years.[6] His elder brother became bishop of the cathedral, the second African bishop there after Archbishop Leslie Vining.[4]
Phillips trained well-known students such as Fela Sowande, Ayo Bankole, Lazarus Ekwueme, Christopher Oyesiku and his son Charles Oluwole Obayomi Phillips, who succeeded him at the Cathedral Church of Christ.[6] Fela Sowande always remembered the training that Phillips provided, which was a great help in his own career.[8] In 1964 the University of Nigeria, Nsukka awarded Phillips an honorary Doctor of Music degree for his contributions to development of Nigerian church music.[5] Phillips died on 10 July 1969.[9] He had five children.[4]
Workedit
In 1926 Phillips presented a proposal to the Synod of the Diocese of Lagos, which was accepted, to use "native airs" in church services.[3] Most of his work consisted of church music that included hymns, antiphonal chants, choral anthems in Yoruba language and two organ solo works, Passacaglia on an African Folk Song and Variations on an African Folk Song.[6] Phillips wrote three short organ solo compositions, but most of his organ pieces were based on existing indigenous themes.[10] He made the first modern arrangement of Ise Oluwa, the most popular Yoruba Christian hymn, for SATB with organ accompaniment.[11] Phillips was the author of Yoruba Music (Johannesburg: African Music Society, 1953), the first musicological treatise by a trained African musician to discuss African music. The book describes Yoruba traditional music in detail and shows how the concepts in this indigenous tradition can be incorporated in modern works.[6]
Referencesedit
^David Dabydeen; John Gilmore; Cecily Jones (2008). The Oxford Companion to Black British History. Pennsylvania State University (Oxford University Press). p. 463. ISBN978-0-199-2389-41.
^Agordoh 2005, p. 131. sfn error: no target: CITEREFAgordoh2005 (help)
^Sadoh 2008, p. 3. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSadoh2008 (help)
^Sadoh 2008, p. 53. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSadoh2008 (help)
Bibliographyedit
Peel, J.D.Y. (2003). Religious Encounter and the Making of the Yoruba. Indiana University Press. ISBN0-253-21588-9.
October 30, 2023
thomas, king, ekundayo, phillips, 1884, july, 1969, nigerian, organist, conductor, composer, teacher, been, described, father, nigerian, church, music, thomas, ekundayo, phillips, 1932, organ, cathedral, church, lagosborn1884died10, july, 1969, 1969, aged, nat. Thomas King Ekundayo Phillips 1884 10 July 1969 was a Nigerian organist conductor composer and teacher who has been described as the father of Nigerian church music 1 Thomas King Ekundayo PhillipsThomas Ekundayo Phillips at the 1932 organ at the Cathedral Church LagosBorn1884Died10 July 1969 1969 07 10 aged 84 85 NationalityNigerianOccupationOrganistKnown forFather of Nigerian church music Contents 1 Life 2 Work 3 References 4 BibliographyLife editThomas Ekundayo Phillips was born in 1884 2 His father was Bishop Charles Phillips of Ondo 3 He attended the CMS Grammar School Lagos then went to the Government Training School for Dispensers where he qualified as a Chemist 2 He became an optician by profession 4 Phillips was encouraged to study music by the Archdeacon Nathaniel his uncle 2 His uncle Johnson Phillips an Anglican priest gave him his first organ lessons 5 Solomon Moses Daniels a well known organist at Saint Paul s Church Aroloya gave him lessons in organ playing He was Assistant Organist at Saint Paul s Church Lagos until 1914 2 Phillips attended Trinity College of Music in London from 1911 to 1914 where he studied organ piano and violin 6 He was given the Fellowship of Trinity College of Music London FTCML in organ playing 2 Phillips was the second Nigerian to obtain a baccalaureate degree in music 7 When he returned to Nigeria in 1914 Bishop Herbert Tugwell invited Phillips to become organist and Master of the Music at the Cathedral Church of Christ Lagos 2 He would retain this position for 48 years 6 His elder brother became bishop of the cathedral the second African bishop there after Archbishop Leslie Vining 4 Phillips trained well known students such as Fela Sowande Ayo Bankole Lazarus Ekwueme Christopher Oyesiku and his son Charles Oluwole Obayomi Phillips who succeeded him at the Cathedral Church of Christ 6 Fela Sowande always remembered the training that Phillips provided which was a great help in his own career 8 In 1964 the University of Nigeria Nsukka awarded Phillips an honorary Doctor of Music degree for his contributions to development of Nigerian church music 5 Phillips died on 10 July 1969 9 He had five children 4 Work editIn 1926 Phillips presented a proposal to the Synod of the Diocese of Lagos which was accepted to use native airs in church services 3 Most of his work consisted of church music that included hymns antiphonal chants choral anthems in Yoruba language and two organ solo works Passacaglia on an African Folk Song and Variations on an African Folk Song 6 Phillips wrote three short organ solo compositions but most of his organ pieces were based on existing indigenous themes 10 He made the first modern arrangement of Ise Oluwa the most popular Yoruba Christian hymn for SATB with organ accompaniment 11 Phillips was the author of Yoruba Music Johannesburg African Music Society 1953 the first musicological treatise by a trained African musician to discuss African music The book describes Yoruba traditional music in detail and shows how the concepts in this indigenous tradition can be incorporated in modern works 6 References edit David Dabydeen John Gilmore Cecily Jones 2008 The Oxford Companion to Black British History Pennsylvania State University Oxford University Press p 463 ISBN 978 0 199 2389 41 a b c d e f Agordoh 2005 p 130 sfn error no target CITEREFAgordoh2005 help a b Peel 2003 p 387 a b c Motunrayo Joel 2014 sfn error no target CITEREFMotunrayo Joel2014 help a b Godwin Sadoh 2008 sfn error no target CITEREFGodwin Sadoh2008 help a b c d e Sadoh 2007 sfn error no target CITEREFSadoh2007 help Michael Olutayo Olatunji 2005 p 11 sfn error no target CITEREFMichael Olutayo Olatunji2005 help Fela Sowande 1905 1987 AfriClassical com sfn error no target CITEREFFela Sowande 1905 1987 AfriClassical com help Agordoh 2005 p 131 sfn error no target CITEREFAgordoh2005 help Sadoh 2008 p 3 sfn error no target CITEREFSadoh2008 help Sadoh 2008 p 53 sfn error no target CITEREFSadoh2008 help Bibliography editPeel J D Y 2003 Religious Encounter and the Making of the Yoruba Indiana University Press ISBN 0 253 21588 9 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thomas King Ekundayo Phillips amp oldid 1181556919, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
