At the recent seminar for choirmasters in Kumasi, from 26th to 27th of November 2021, one outstanding participant, who commanded respect even though she seemed to be of an introvert personality, attracted the reporter with her voice and conducting capabilities, to observe her more and have an interview for such a personality.

In one of her conducting exercises at the Choirmasters seminar, she stopped the singing and said “I am conducting you and not you conducting me so watch me”.  More of her was discovered on the Sunday morning before the divine service. She was all over; the Sunday School, the Choir and the Orchestra. She is someone who sacrifices her time to uplift the image of the New Apostolic Church in Kumasi. I was attracted to her movements and went closer to ask if she could grant me an interview for our website and shyly, she agreed.

Reporter: My dear sister, what is your full name?

Mavis: I am Mavis Adwoa Mensah Amankwaa aka 'MAMA' one of the Choirmasters of the New Apostolic Church (NAC) Kumasi Central. A teacher by profession, a broadcast journalist sometime back and also a Multilevel Marketer. Actually, MAMA was given to me by my mother because she named me after her mum who is also called Mavis but little did I know that the name will become my initials in future after marriage. Haha! That was just by the way.

Reporter: You are married. How many children and how old are they?

Mavis: Yes, I am happily married to Ebenezer Amankwaa a member of the church and we have four wonderful children.  The eldest is an 18-year-old girl followed by a 16-year- old boy and two other boys; both 6 and 3.

Reporter: I spotted you at the recent Choirmasters’ Seminar in Kumasi, fully participating in all disciplines and also singing at a very high pitch. What inspires you to sing so beautifully?

Mavis: Hmmm!  My voice I'll say is a gift from my Maker. I am intrinsically motivated basically. I do not wait for someone to encourage me before I do what I set my eyes on and to do it well. I call myself, 'a goal getter'. But I also take my inspiration from the scriptures.

Reporter: What was your impression on the Choirmasters’ Seminar and what would you want improved?

Mavis: If I am to describe the seminar in one word, I'll say it was fantastic. I think everything was on point except to say that more youthful choirmasters should be brought on board at the next seminar and encouraged to enable them to go to the villages to teach them what is taught at the seminar.

Reporter: At the Central Church in Kumasi, you seemed to be everywhere; one moment with the Sunday school, and another moment you were conducting the orchestra and then the choir...
Of singing in the choir, Sunday School teaching, and conducting the orchestra;
a. Which do you enjoy the most and why?
b. Which is the most demanding?

Mavis: Please, are you suggesting to me to choose one of the various activities in the Church that I perform? Hmmm! That is a tough question to answer. The reason is, I have come to love all because if you love what you do and do it well, you fall in love with it. However, if I am forced to choose one, I think I'll opt for the singing with the choir because that is where I started and topped it up with the rest later. But deep down in my heart, I love the Sunday School too.

The most demanding? I wish I could dodge this question. The reason is I have come to realize that if you do what you find to do well it demands a lot of sacrifices from you. The most demanding is the choir.

Reporter: Are you grooming some people to sing like you do?

Mavis: Yes, I am grooming about six people from Sunday school to be more than me in future. That is my utmost prayer – to get them to the peak. A mother approached me to groom her daughter because the child told the mother that she wants to conduct like I do.