Alma redemptoris mater

This grand setting of the Marian antiphon Alma redemptoris mater by Andreas de Silva would suit a special occasion in Advent or Christmastide. The text invokes Mary as the Gate of Heaven and Star of the Sea, asking her to aid her people and have mercy on sinners, having miraculously given birth to her Creator. The composer's rich eight-part writing for SAATT and ATTBB voices creates a sonorous and majestic sound world. De Silva was active in the early 16th century and his music reflects the polyphonic mastery of the High Renaissance, with intricate vocal lines and careful attention to harmonic colour. This sacred motet offers a profound musical meditation on the role of Mary in salvation history.