Ebealen Tohanmhan

"Ebealen Tohanmhan" is a deeply reverent setting of the Penitential Rite, bringing the traditional Kyrie eleison into the Esan language alongside its English translation. Charles I. Onwubuya crafts a solemn, measured melody that perfectly captures the posture of a congregation asking for God's mercy at the beginning of Mass.

The piece moves through the familiar threefold invocation—Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy—allowing the choir to lead the faithful in a moment of quiet reflection and repentance. Singing the invocations in both Esan and English makes the prayer wonderfully accessible, grounding the universal plea of the Church in local devotion. It is an ideal choice for the penitential act, setting a tone of humility before the liturgy of the Word begins.