Angelus ad pastores ait

Orlando di Lasso’s motet for SATTB voices is a setting of a Latin biblical text concerning the Annunciation to the Shepherds. The opening lines, from the Gospel of Luke, declare that a great joy is announced: the Saviour of the world is born today. Lasso’s music unfolds with an immediate sense of solemnity and grace, the five vocal lines weaving together in rich polyphony. The texture shifts to reflect the text’s unfolding narrative, with moments of soaring jubilation particularly in the repeated Alleluias. The second part of the text, speaking of the child born to us and his mighty name, is treated with a similar warmth and expressive clarity, making this a powerful and moving contemplation of the Nativity.