Ecce panis angelorum

Jakob Reiner’s setting of the sequence hymn Ecce panis angelorum is written for SSA choir. The music opens with direct, declamatory statements that capture the hymnal nature of the text. The Latin words speak of the Eucharist as the bread of angels, the food of travellers, and the true bread of the children of God, contrasting it with being cast to dogs. The text goes on to explore the symbolism of this bread through Old Testament types – the sacrifice of Isaac, the Passover lamb, and the manna given to the Israelites in the desert. The second part of the text directly addresses Jesus as the good shepherd and true bread, asking for nourishment, protection, and the vision of life in the land of the living. The composer’s setting highlights the devotional and theological weight of this well-known eucharistic text.