Ave Virgo, sponsa Dei

A composer of the Venetian school, Giovanni Croce served as choirmaster at St Mark's Basilica, Venice. His motet Ave Virgo, sponsa Dei is a striking example of SACRED Venetian polyphony. The text is a Latin Marian antiphon, praising the Virgin Mary as the bride of God and the sacred dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit. It celebrates the miraculous mystery of the Incarnation, through which the Word became flesh and Mary became the immaculate mother of Christ the Redeemer. Croce’s writing for the eight-part choir (STTB.TTTB, SATB.SATB) creates rich textures and resonant sound, ideal for liturgical settings during Marian feasts or other important solemnities.