Eram quasi agnus

Orlando di Lasso, a leading composer of the Franco-Flemish school, crafted this sacred responsory for SATB voices. Written in Latin, the text draws from the Book of Jeremiah, depicting a lament of innocence betrayed and plotted against. The composer powerfully sets the words of the innocent lamb led to sacrifice, and the enemies’ conspiracy to destroy him from the land of the living. The music reflects the anguish of the text, with rich harmonic language and contrapuntal interplay characteristic of the late Renaissance sacred style. It offers a profound musical setting of a deeply emotional biblical passage.