The impact of traditional songs on participation in liturgy in Ggaba Seminary, Uganda

Abstract

This research project was about the impact of traditional songs on participation in liturgy. The researcher wanted to investigate the relationship between traditional songs and participation in liturgy at Ggaba seminary. The researcher observed that there was insufficient competence in those who teach select, and conducted these songs during liturgy, as well as the way they synchronized those songs with the accompaniment. The researcher therefore wanted to establish the extent of participation in the liturgy in Ggaba seminary as far as affected by the insufficient competence.

The study population was the seminarians of Ggaba Seminary in the academic year 2007-2008. The number was 145. Using simple random selection method, the researcher got a sample of 80 students whom he studied. These acted as the respondents to the questionnaires that were distributed. The questionnaire was guided by the specific objectives which were to find the relationship between the teaching of traditional songs and participation in liturgy and the synchronizing of song and accompaniment and participation in liturgy.

The findings in this research revealed that there is great love for traditional songs and that the students found favour with the conductors who taught these songs and managed to synchronize well the accompaniment with those singing. The challenges were that some conductors are incompetent, literature is inadequate, some conductors have inferiority complex, some who would like to teach these songs have fear, and that some students are biased towards some songs from a particular region.

In line with the literature and the respondents, the researcher recommended that there should be a minimum level of knowledge considered when recruiting the conductors, then if all of them do not have this knowledge then let them be trained. The conductors should have adequate practices of these traditional songs lest they are forgotten.