A chorus of angels

I’m kind of jumping the gun here with today’s Advent music. By which I mean, Giovanni Pierluigi da Plaestrina’s “O magnum mysterium” is about the wonder experienced by the shepherds who showed up at the manger in Bethlehem, so it should technically be later in the season.

But my blog, my choice.

Palestrina was right at the start of the timeline of a music history class I once took, and I confess that I’ve not paid all that much attention to him since. So it seems appropriate that I dust him off and take him out for a spin. We need a range of music at this time, particularly in this year.

The text of this motet is fairly simple: 

O great mystery and wonderful sacrament
That beasts should see the newborn Lord lying in a manger.
The newborn we have seen and a chorus of angels praising God.

Alleluia

Whom have you seen, shepherds?
Speak, tell us who has appeared?
The newborn we have seen and a chorus of angels praising God.
Alleluia

Here's the King's College, Cambridge, choir performing it.