Angelus Domini descendit de caelo

Jehan L'Heritier was a composer of the late medieval/early Renaissance period. This sacred motet, Angelus Domini descendit de caelo, is set for SATB choir in Latin. The text recounts the Annunciation and the Resurrection of Christ. The first part describes the angel descending, rolling back the stone from Christ's tomb, and reassuring the women that he is looking for the crucified Lord. The second part continues with the women entering the tomb, seeing a young man in white, and being told that the Lord has truly risen. The music would have been intended for liturgical use within the Roman Catholic Church. The text is a Marian antiphon, a type of liturgical chant associated with the Virgin Mary.