Fratres, qui gloriatur

A master of sacred Renaissance part-music, Orlando di Lasso composed this motet for SSATTB voices in Latin. The text is drawn from the New Testament, specifically from St Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians. It opens with an exhortation: 'Brothers! If anyone boasts, let him boast in the Lord.' The composer then reflects on the nature of true approval, noting that it is not those who commend themselves who are proven, but those whom God commends. Lasso’s sensitive setting underlines the theological message with rich, imitative textures appropriate for the era and its liturgical context. The motet provides a powerful expression of faith and humility.