Hic est Michael archangelus

This potent motet by Vicente Lusitano sets the Latin text Hic est Michael archangelus, a passage that extols the Archangel Michael as a great prince. Such a text is often sung during feasts celebrating the Archangel, or during services honouring saints. The SAATB voicing allows for rich harmonic textures and contrapuntal interplay, particularly effective in the dramatic depiction of Michael's might. Lusitano, a composer of the Portuguese Renaissance, crafts a powerful sacred work that would make a striking centrepiece for a motet collection, offering directors a chance to explore expressive Renaissance polyphony with a clear and resonant sacred text.