Fratres, qui gloriatur

Giovanni Bernardino Nanino was a composer of sacred music in late 16th-century Rome. Fratres, qui gloriatur is a motet for two-part female voices, setting a Latin text from the New Testament. The composer draws on the rich tradition of Roman polyphony, creating music of devotional character. The text, which translates as 'Brothers, let him who glories, glory in the Lord. For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but he whom God commends,' provides a clear moral and theological message. Nanino's setting reflects the text's emphasis on divine approval over self-praise through its clear and direct musical lines.