Cantabant Sancti

Peter Philips was a prominent composer of sacred polyphony in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. His motet Cantabant Sancti is written for SSATB choir and sets a Latin text drawn from the Book of Revelation. The music depicts the triumphant song of the saints before the throne of God and the Lamb, a new song that resonates throughout the earth. The text speaks of the saints as first-fruits offered to God and the Lamb, whose mouths were found without guile. The inclusion of the variant text adds a further dimension of adoration and praise, as the saints fall on their faces before the throne and bless the living One forever. This work showcases Philips' mastery of contrapuntal writing and expressive sacred music.