This edition was prepared by Richard Mix — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Aurea luce
Staff Notation • Sacred, Office hymns
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Aurea luce by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Lyrics
1. Aurea luce et decore roseo,
Lux lucis, omne perfudisti saeculum:
decorans caelos inclito martyrio.
Hac sacra die, quae dat reis veniam.
2. Janitor caeli, doctor orbis pariter,
Judices saecli, vera mundi lumina:
Per crucem alter, alter ense triumphans,
Vitae senatum laureati possident.
3. O felix Roma, quae tantorum principum
es purpurata pretioso sanguine,
non laude tua, sed ipsorum meritis
excellis omnem mundi pulchritudinem.
4. Jam, bone Pastor Petre, clemens accipe
Vota precantum, et peccati vincula
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About Aurea luce
This sacred Office hymn, Aurea luce, is sung to celebrate the feast of St Peter and St Paul. Its Latin text speaks of Christ as the Light of the world, illuminating the heavens with martyrdom, and it praises Rome, rich in the blood of its saints. The text then addresses Peter as the gatekeeper of heaven and Paul as the doctor of the world, imploring them to grant forgiveness and guide believers to the heavens. The polyphonic setting by Palestrina is for SATB and SAATB voices, reflecting the grandeur and solemnity of the occasion. It is a powerful work for choirs seeking a substantial and spiritually uplifting piece from the Renaissance sacred repertoire.
