Late Mr. Kayode Oni was born in Ibadan on 22nd of February, 1943. His father’s forebears came from Ijaye-Orile in Oyo State, while those of his mother were from Abeokuta in Ogun State.
The young Kayode Oni attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church School and Holy Trinity School, Lokoja, in the present Kogi State, for his primary school education. He later had his secondary school education at Ibadan Boys High School, Ibadan in Oyo State. When there was no organist at the Holy Trinity Church, Lokoja in 1951, his father bought a harmonium organ for him to study organ playing and music. His first teacher, the late Mr. Darlington Momoh, was engaged to teach him the art of organ playing. Later, on Easter day of 1953, he was able to play at the services in Holy Trinity Church Lokoja. He was immediately appointed as the organist at the tender age of ten. From then, he never looked back. Kayode Oni was a school organist from primary school in then "Standard four" to secondary school. That was the foundation of a musical career, which took him to study Music in Nigeria and abroad. He later obtained a scholarship from the then Western Region Government in 1969 to study Music in England. He obtained the Diploma certificates in Organ Playing, Teaching, Choir Training and Management, Liturgiology, Conducting, Harmony and Counterpoint, History of Music, History of Church Music and more. These include;
i) Associate Diploma in Organ Playing and Theory of Music from
a) Tonic Solfa College of Music - ATSC
b) London College of Music - ALCM
ii) Licentiate Diploma in Organ Teaching from Trinity College of Music, London- LTCL.
iii) Fellowship Diploma (FTCL), the highest diploma in Organ Playing in Britain, as an Organ Performer and Recitalist.
iv) He studied Church Music and its ancillary subjects at the Royal School of Church Music, Croydon, London from 1969 to 1971.
He studied organ under the following teachers:
i) Mr. Timothy Farell - then Sub-Organist at the Westminster Abbey, London.
ii) Mr. Harry Gabbo - Sub-Organist at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.
He returned to Nigeria in 1972 and was appointed a Music Producer at the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), where he worked under Mr. Christopher Oyesiku. He served as the organist of the then NBC Choir, Lagos and Ibadan from 1972 to 1995.
He worked briefly as the pioneer lecturer in Music at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State and College of Education, Ilesha in Osun State.
Kayode Oni served as Organist/Choirmaster in the following churches:
1) Holy Trinity Church (now Cathedral) Lokoja, Kogi State.
2) St. Saviour's African Church, Ibadan, Oyo State (now Cathedral).
3) Agbeni Methodist Church, Ibadan, Oyo State (now cathedral).
4) St. Peter’s Church, Aremo, Ibadan, Oyo State (now cathedral).
5) St. James' Cathedral, Ibadan, Oyo State.
6) St. Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.
7) Honourary Organist at the Christ Church Cathedral, Marina, Lagos.
8) Holy Trinity Church, Mile End London E3.
In addition, he was Organist and Choirmaster at the Chapel of Resurrection, University of Ibadan, as well as St Saviour's Church, Ikenne, in Ogun State (the home Church of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo)
He received some meritorious awards for his activities in music from:
1) African Church Cathedral, Lagos.
2) Solidary Club, Lagos.
3) Organ Grandmaster from Organ Club, Lagos.
4) St. Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.
5) St. Saviour’s African Church Cathedral, Ibadan.
He served also as organist and choirmaster in the following cathedrals:
1) Methodist Cathedral, Tinubu, Lagos
2) Methodist Cathedral, Olowogbowo, Lagos
3) Hoare’s Memorial Methodist Cathedral, Yaba, Lagos
Kayode Oni has mentored and produced many young organists in Nigeria.
He has accompanied various Church choirs in Nigeria and abroad to choir festivals, concerts, rendition of works of great classical music composers and continues to do so in his retirement. More so, as an organ recitalist and music competition adjucator, he has given many organ recitals in Nigeria and abroad.
He served in various churches for sixty-seven years and six months. The last six years and six months were spent at Hoare’s Memorial Methodist Cathedral, Yaba, Lagos, as organist and choirmaster. For all these, he continues to give thanks to Almighty God for the grace to serve in His vineyard.
He is now retired as a Music Teacher and Consultant in organ and choir matters.
Kayode Oni is a Jerusalem Pilgrim (JP). He accompanied the late Premier of Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo to Israel, Egypt, Rome and Greece on Pilgrimage in 1982. Kayode Oni retired after serving the Church as Organist and Choirmaster for 67 years.
(His autobiography he sent to me in November 2019 when he was to be honoured by the Christian Friends Society of AVMCC)
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13 май 2021
