Genuit puerpera

Loyset Compère's motet Genuit puerpera is a sacred work from the Renaissance. Scored for ATTB voices, it is set in Latin. The text speaks of Christ's birth, with the opening lines declaring that the 'childbearing woman gave birth to the King, whom angels, thrones and dominions praise.' Later verses address Christ as the Redeemer, born of the Father before all time, the light and splendor of the Father, and the eternal hope of all. The composer's setting would have been heard within the context of late 15th-century sacred music, a period rich in polyphonic composition for the church.