Ɔdɔ yɛ wu

Ɔdɔ yɛ wu (Love is death) for SATB chorus was composed March 19, 1931, and is one of Amu’s sacred songs. In it Amu uses the Twi proverb “Ɔdɔ yɛ wu,” which translates into English as “Love is death.” Amu’s inspiration to write this song may also have come from his meditation on what can be described as Paul’s poem in 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 in which the apostle contrasts love with other Christian virtues like faith and hope. Underneath the title in the second manuscript in his own hand, Amu writes: Owu Fida dwom which translates into English as “Good Friday song.”