Gloria et honore

Johann Nepomuk Ahle's motet Gloria et honore is written for ATTBB choir. The Latin text is drawn from Psalm 8, praising God's crowning of humankind with glory and honour and appointing them ruler over the work of his hands. The composer's setting is a rich exploration of the text, with the lower voices providing a solid foundation for the upper parts. The motet continues with a further text, "Hic est sacerdos, quem coronavit Dominus", from Ecclesiasticus, identifying the subject as a priest crowned by the Lord. Ahle's music here offers a suitably majestic and profound reflection on this sacred theme, delivered with a skillful interplay of the four voice parts.