Exiit sermo inter fratres

From the Latin text of John 21:23, Tiburtio Massaino’s motet Exiit sermo inter fratres is well-suited for liturgical use during the Easter season, or at a Requiem Mass. The SATB choir sings a text which concerns a misunderstanding among Christ’s disciples about the fate of a beloved disciple. Massaino’s setting reflects the contemplative mood of the passage. He opens with a simple statement of the rumour, then presents Christ’s clarifying words, all with a clarity and directness typical of sacred polyphony from the late Renaissance.