HA NWERE ISIOMA (Psalm 19th Sunday of the Year)

This responsorial psalm setting for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time brings the words of Psalm 33 to life in Igbo. The refrain, "Ha nwere isioma bụ ndị Onyenweanyị họọrọ ka ha bụrụ ndị nke ya" (Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own), is set to a bright, joyful melody that invites the whole congregation to sing out their identity as God's chosen flock.

Emma Orji's arrangement uses a lively allegretto tempo to capture the psalm's spirit of praise and trust. The verses call the righteous to exult in the Lord, reminding the faithful that God's eyes are on those who fear Him and hope in His love, ready to deliver them even in times of famine. It is a wonderful piece for the Liturgy of the Word, lifting the voices of the choir and the people in a shared declaration of faith and divine providence.