Festina lente

Martin Agricola's Festina lente is a sacred work for SATB choir, written in Latin. The music unfolds as a canon, with the voices entering one after another, creating a rich and intricate texture. The title, meaning 'Hurry slowly', is echoed in the text's wisdom: 'Be slow, however; thus can slow things be hidden slowly'. Agricola masterfully translates this paradox into sound, where the contrapuntal nature of the canon imitates the deliberate, unfolding process described by the words. This engaging piece offers a stimulating challenge for choirs looking for musically rewarding Renaissance-style part-music.