My People

Jude Nnam’s setting of "My People" brings the traditional Good Friday Reproaches (the Popule meus) to life with a haunting, sorrowful melody. The song voices the lament of Christ from the cross, asking His followers how He has offended them. It contrasts His profound acts of love—leading them out of Egypt, feeding them with manna, and planting them as a prized vine—with the bitter reality of His crucifixion.

In the choir loft, this piece is typically sung during the Veneration of the Cross. The arrangement alternates between the tender, questioning verses and the solemn Trisagion ("Holy God, Holy and strong, Holy immortal God, have mercy on us"). As the congregation approaches the cross, the gentle but piercing words invite everyone into a space of deep reflection and repentance, making it one of the most moving moments of the Holy Week liturgy.