Beate, sancte Marce

This motet by Giovanni Andrea Dragoni is ideal for services honouring St Mark the Evangelist. The SATTB voicing offers rich harmonic possibilities for a skilled choir. The Latin text is a fervent plea for the intercession of the saint, asking for help for the supplicating people. The composer’s setting moves from the invocation of the saint’s name to a joyful Alleluia, reflecting the devotional nature of the text. Dragoni, a composer of the late Renaissance, crafts a compelling devotional work that would grace any liturgical occasion marking this important feast day.