Ave verum corpus

Jakob Reiner’s Ave verum corpus is a tender setting of the well-known Latin text, sung by four sopranos. The composer creates a devotional atmosphere through the close-knit, imitative texture. The four voices move in predominantly stepwise motion, creating a sense of gentle yearning. The text, a prayer to the true body of Christ, is treated with heartfelt simplicity, dwelling on the sacrifice and the plea for mercy in death. The final lines, ‘O Jesu dulcis, O Jesu pie, O Jesu Fili Mariae. Miserere mei. Amen’, are sung with a directness that underscores the personal nature of the devotion.