Jam lucis orto sidere

Orlando di Lasso's motet Jam lucis orto sidere is a sophisticated example of Renaissance Latin part-music for double choir (SATB.SATB). The text, a secular poem, humorously extols the virtues of drinking. It urges the singers to consume wine liberally and repeatedly, arguing that only through such copious libation can true joy and rest be found. The second part explicitly condemns water as a drink, praising wine in its various forms and declaring that prolonged drinking should be the singers' constant pursuit. Lasso's setting likely employs the antiphonal possibilities of the double choir to create a grand and festive sound, appropriate for the text's boisterous subject matter.