Ekworo Ajọka

"Ekworo Ajọka" is a vibrant, traditional-style Igbo folk song arranged for choir by Marcellinus Nwolisa. Right from the opening notes, the piece transports the choir and audience to a village square setting. It features a narrator—the storyteller—who steps out to introduce the tale, while the rest of the choir acts as the eager audience rushing in to listen and respond.

The song unfolds as a long, dramatic moral narrative. It tells the story of a pregnant woman, wicked relatives, poisoned food, and a child driven into the forest, only to be eventually found and crowned by a king. Through this engaging call-and-response format, the music warns against the destructive nature of envy, malice, and jealousy.

Because of its theatrical structure and storytelling focus, choirs typically perform this piece during cultural days, concerts, and special social gatherings rather than during the Mass. It ends with a powerful spoken blessing, urging everyone to cast away bitterness and embrace peaceful coexistence: "Onye biri ibe ya ebiri o" (Let live and let live).