English 
Deutsch 
Español 
Sisterhood is closely associated with prayer of which singing is one of its expressions. Impressive stories were told of the thrilling feminine voices of the Shisong Sisters by the women who came from various villages to be delivered of their babies and by the sick who came to Shisong Hospital. From the hospital bed, they would hear the Sisters “singing like angels”.
Continuously immersed in prayer and song, the Sisters started trying to write their own song. As for Sr. Grace Mary Yefon, her Father was the first Catechist in Nkar and composed many songs in the local language to facilitate catechesis. While he adapted some from the Latin, German, and English hymns he heard from the early missionaries, some were his original compositions. Sr. Grace Mary who joined the TSSF in 1973, must have received this gift from her dad. She has composed the highest number of Masses and songs that enrich the spiritual lives and liturgy of the Church in the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda. Her compositions are original in reflection, dynamic in style, and melodious. Her ability to compose on the spot adds to her uniqueness. The compositions of Sr. Evelyn Njweng have a hereditary bearing also.
A second generation of songwriters in Cameroon could highlight one like Sr. Budzee Appolonia, who holds that her ability to write songs is a “pure gift”, not so sure of any hereditary bearings. Her parents sang ordinarily and she grew up singing simply even though she was acclaimed to have a gorgeous voice. She wrote the first song when she was a TSSF Novice in 1992. Her songs are deeply reflective, original, and lively with African diverse rhythms. When the TSSF enroll her in a music course, she improved on technical reading, writing, composition, and voice.
Another category of Sisters started writing songs as a fruit of many years of reflections, prayer and openness of spirit; such as Sr. Odette Ngong, Sr. Alphonsa Kiven, Sr. Roberta Feh (RIP), Sr. Doris Kongla, Sr. Therese Martin Muala, Sr. Maria Rosa Fotabong, Sr. Priscilla Timben, Sr. Antonia Anyangma. Conversely, persons like Sr. Seraphine Ghong wrote some songs before entering the Convent and has kept the gift growing.
During the tenure of Sr. Alphonsa Kiven as Provincial Superior from 1995 to 2007, she was inspired by the music publications of some Sisters in Kenya; so she encouraged the recording and publication of TSSF songs in 2000. Since then, the TSSF music, tagged “Source and Summit” has been published in 6 albums, also available on YouTube. These songs are written in French, English, and local languages to “inspire” the people of God, to keep minds continuously connected to God and his Holy Word, and extend the Holy Eucharist amidst daily activities.
“When the people share the impact of our songs on their lives, I clearly realize that it is a divine call to continue the hard work of listening to the Holy Spirit in order to enrich as many people as possible”, upholds Sr. Budzee who also believes that the angels teach her the songs. “When I listen to the movement of the Spirit as these songs are sung in the liturgy, I see how God can use people to touch lives. On my initiative, I couldn’t move people that much. Of course, the lyrics of these songs equally minister to me strongly”.
The studio technicians have some general complaints against most of the TSSF songs; namely, they don’t usually fit the ordinary, predictable movement of notes; the melody progression is usually surprising and challenging and obliges the technician to learn the song from scratch before applying the instruments. Even though it bothers the instrumentalists, it portrays a high level of originality of the songwriters, “fruits of the Holy Spirit”.