MAI TSARKI MAI TSARKI (SANCTUS) HAUSA

There is a special kind of joy that fills the choir loft when we reach the Sanctus. It is the moment in the Mass where our voices join the unending hymn of the angels. This setting, titled 'Mai Tsarki', brings that heavenly chorus to life in Hausa, offering a bright and rhythmic acclamation of God's holiness.

What makes this particular manuscript so lovely is the handwritten addition of the Igbo translation, 'Nsọ Nsọ Nsọ', at the bottom of the page. It is a familiar sight for many Nigerian choir directors—a single sheet of music adapted and shared across different languages so that the whole congregation can lift their voices. Singing 'Mai Tsarki' or 'Nsọ nsọ nsọ Osebulụwa', the soaring 'Hosanna' reminds us of the universal call to praise the Lord of hosts.