Genus superni luminis

This motet for SATB voices, Genus superni luminis, is a sacred setting of a Latin text that speaks of Christ's birth from the Virgin Mary, calling her the 'gate of Christ' and 'full of grace'. The lyrics praise the mother of God, the hope of believers, and recount Christ's redemption of mankind. The hymn also offers a doxology to the Trinity. Heinrich Finck's composition would have been sung in a context of devotion, its words reflecting central tenets of Christian faith and Marian veneration. The piece is a rich example of Renaissance sacred polyphony.