Alma redemptoris mater

This setting of the Marian antiphon Alma redemptoris mater is by Jacquet de Mantua. It is scored for five voices (soprano, tenor, tenor, baritone, bass). The Latin text, a prayer to the Mother of the Redeemer, asks for help for those striving to rise from sin. It praises her as the gate of heaven and star of the sea, who gave birth to God while nature looked on in wonder, and who received the Ave Maria from Gabriel. The composer's skillful treatment of this text makes it a fitting devotional piece for a choir seeking to explore Renaissance sacred polyphony.