Beata es virgo Maria a 5

Sung in Latin, this motet for five voices (soprano, alto, tenor, tenor, bass) is a Marian antiphon, setting texts that praise the Virgin Mary. The composer Jacob Handl was a leading exponent of the 'new style' of sacred polyphony in the late 16th century. Its Latin text, drawn from various sources, proclaims Mary as blessed and the Mother of God, highlighting her unique role in salvation history. It praises her faith and her exaltation above the choirs of angels. The polyphony would be suitable for services during the Marian cycle, such as feasts of the Annunciation, Visitation, Assumption, or Nativity of Mary, or for general use in Vespers or Mass.