Aures ad nostras

This setting of a Latin text is a sacred office hymn, likely intended for liturgical use. The composer Jacquet de Mantua has set the words for SATB choir, with a second SAATB choir part. The text is a plea for divine mercy and guidance. It begins by asking God to incline his ear to prayers, receive the vows of his servants, and look down with a serene countenance to dispel darkness from the heart. The hymn continues with petitions for the loosening of sins, the washing away of impurities, and the breaking of bonds, before calling on Christ as the true light and life who saved humanity from death. The choir is then asked to insert love for God into our minds, to refund the eternal light of faith, and to increase charity.