Caligaverunt oculi mei a 8

Scipione Barotius's Caligaverunt oculi mei is a powerful eight-part motet for two SATB choirs. The music opens with a sense of profound sorrow, the text speaking of eyes clouded with weeping and the absence of consolation. The composer uses the double choir texture to great effect, creating a dramatic interplay between the ensembles, especially in the direct address to the listener: 'Videte, omnes populi' ('See, all people') and 'O vos omnes, qui transitis per viam, attendite, et videte' ('O all ye that pass by, attend and see'). The Latin text, drawn from the Lamentations of Jeremiah, powerfully conveys a sense of grief, asking if there is any sorrow like the sorrow of the singer. This motet is a deeply expressive exploration of lamentation.