PHILIP GBEHO

Philip Comi Gbeho (14 January 1904 – 24 September 1976) was a distinguished Ghanaian musician, composer, and educator, who greatly influenced Ghana’s culture, particularly through his composition of Ghana’s National Anthem.

PHOTO CAPTION: Philip Gbeho. SOURCE: EA Library

He was born on Saturday in Vodza, a fishing village in the suburb of Keta in the Volta Region. He attended Keta Roman Catholic Boys School, where he was introduced to the organ. He learned to play it quickly and even became a pupil organist until he left the school.

In January 1925, Philip Gbeho gained admission to the newly opened Achimota Teacher Training College in Accra. While studying to become a teacher, he took advantage of the tremendous facilities that the college offered in music to upgrade his knowledge and practice of music. Upon graduating as a teacher in December 1929, Gbeho returned to Keta to teach at the Roman Catholic Boys School where he founded the St. Cecilia’s Choir and brought it to an unusually high performance standard within the District. He also started an informal school of music in Keta that prepared students for the external examinations of London’s Victoria College of Music.

Gbeho’s dedication to music caught the attention of Achimota College authorities, leading to his appointment as an assistant music master in 1938. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in his career, where he furthered his studies in the United Kingdom, earning diplomas and degrees in music from institutions like Trinity College of Music. In 1950, Gbeho was granted a Gold Coast government extension scholarship to continue to study at Trinity College of Music for the Graduate of Trinity College (GTCL) degree in music. At the same time, Gbeho also took the exams of the Royal Academy of Music privately and earned himself the L.R.A.M in the teaching of music.

PHOTO CAPTION: Philip Gbeho with his student choir. SOURCE: EA Library

He returned to the Gold Coast upon graduation to resume the teaching of music at the Achimota Secondary. He, together with his colleague teachers and friends such as Ephraim Amu, fought hard to have the teaching of indigenous music inculcated in pupils, especially in the first and second-cycle schools. Even though this put him on a collision course with the Missions, which associated indigenous music with pagan worship, he persevered and gained acceptability and respect for African music and culture generally.

He also became a strong advocate for the establishment of an Arts Council and the building of a National Theatre. In 1954, when the government decided to set up a statutory body to “foster, improve and preserve the traditional arts and culture of the Gold Coast”, Gbeho was appointed the Chairman of the Interim-Committee for the Arts Council of the Gold Coast. The Committee organised regular arts and crafts exhibitions and festivals in the various regions of Ghana just to whip up interest in the arts and indigenous music among Ghanaians.

In 1957, as Ghana prepared for independence, Gbeho won a national competition to craft the anthem and even though the anthem’s lyrics were later revised by a commissioned literary committee, it was those words in Gbeho’s music that were used as the National Anthem on 6 March 1957. The first stanza of his piece went as follows:

Lord God our Father we pray thee,
Be thou our guide in all our ways:
May we united together
Proclaim the dawn of our new day.
Children of Ghana! Arise and uphold your cause,
And blaze the trail of freedom far and wide.
Oh God our Father hearken to our call
And grant us peace here in our Fatherland.

One other enduring contribution to national development by Philip Gbeho was the creation of the Ghana National Symphony Orchestra in 1959, which had the goal of fostering an appreciation for Western classical music in Ghana. For Gbeho’s effort in establishing the Arts Council of Ghana and in appreciation of his contribution to the cultural development of the country, he was in 1965 honoured with a grand medal. Most memorable to his name are the collections he made of some popular highlife tunes and indigenous songs which he re-arranged for performance by the Orchestra and the Dance Company.

In all, he wrote out eight indigenous ewe songs: “Kondo Yi Yevuwo De Megboo”, “Miawo Mie Gbona Afegame”, “Enyo Enyo Nuto Yae Enyo”, “Aklie Do Gokame Tu Di Le Anago”, “Nuwo Za Medo O”. It was also through his performance of G. F. Handel’s Messiah at the Holy Spirit Cathedral that many choir groups got to know that it was possible to perform the tune with orchestral accompaniment.

Philip Gbeho died on 24 September 1976. His name continues to be closely associated with Ghanaian music and cultural heritage, showcasing his lasting influence on Ghana’s artistic identity.

EA EDITORS