MISSA NGOZI

"Missa Ngozi" (Mass of Blessing) features this vibrant, rhythmic setting of the Agnus Dei in Igbo, composed by Jude Nnam. Titled "Nwaturu nke Chukwu," it carries the traditional plea to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, asking for mercy and peace.

Choirs sing this piece during the fraction rite of the Mass, just before the congregation approaches the altar for Communion. The music uses a lively, interlocking call-and-response structure. While the lower voices drive the rhythm forward with the words "Onye n'ekpocha" (who takes away), the sopranos float above with their own melodic line, eventually uniting the choir in a rich harmony.

This arrangement brings a distinctly Nigerian choral energy to a solemn moment of the liturgy. Instead of a quiet chant, the prayer for mercy feels urgent, communal, and deeply alive, lifting the spirits of the faithful as they prepare to receive the Eucharist.