Fuerunt mihi lachrymæ

Ferdinand di Lasso, son of the more famous Orlando, was a composer of the later Renaissance. This motet, written for six voices (SSATTB), is in Latin, setting a devotional text. The opening lines speak of tears and a spiritual searching, with the singer asking 'Where is your God?' followed by a plea to their own soul: 'Why are you sad, my soul, and why do you trouble me? Hope in God'. The composer responds with music that can be both intimate and grand, reflecting the dramatic trajectory of the text from lament to resolute faith.