Brief report of a music course conducted at Siriba for the Nyanza Musical Society

Abstract

Music, like so many other things in Africa today, is going through a period of transition. There are those who feel that genuine African music must always conform to the traditional patterns of the past. Others are of the opinion that the old music of the country cannot survive the severe shock of impact with Western culture. In Kenya, the Nyanza Musical Society is quite outstanding in its intelligent approach to this subject. This Society which was formed as long ago as 1941 has two main objects in view. It exists to encourage the performance and development of the traditional music of Africa, and to introduce to those unfamiliar with it, the best musical traditions of the West. One way in which the Society does this is by the organisation of Music Festivals. Several years ago it was very wisely decided to plan a music course for all choir-masters entering choirs for the Festival. As a result, two things have happened. The standard of performance at the Festivals has improved enormously, and possibly even more important, there has been an increasing interest in the serious study of music.