AGNUS DEI

"Eyen Erong Abasi" is a gentle, reverent Efik setting of the Agnus Dei by Obioha Ogbonna. Sung during the fraction rite as the priest breaks the host, it carries the quiet, pleading weight of the congregation asking for mercy and peace before Communion.

The piece opens with a flowing, steady melody in the soprano line, calling upon the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world ("Afo emen mm'idiok mkpo ederimbot efep efep"). The choir repeats the earnest petition "Tua nnyin mbom" (have mercy on us) for the first two invocations, creating a mood of deep, reflective prayer in the church.

For the third and final invocation, the text shifts to the prayer for peace. The voices repeat "No nnyin emem" several times, allowing the harmony to stretch out and settle into a calm, reassuring finish. It is a fitting way to quiet the mind and prepare the heart before the congregation approaches the altar to receive the Eucharist.