Christus resurgens

William Byrd’s Christus resurgens is a potent motet for four voices (ATTB) in Latin. The music powerfully reflects the text, celebrating Christ’s resurrection. The opening phrases, 'Christus resurgens ex mortuis, jam non moritur, mors illi ultra non dominabitur', are set with a sense of dawning triumph, gradually building in intensity. The second part, 'Dicant nunc Iudaei', shifts to a more polemical tone, challenging those who guarded the tomb. Byrd masterfully employs contrapuntal texture and harmonic colour to underscore the theological weight of the Easter narrative, culminating in joyous Alleluias. This is a profound and moving setting of a significant liturgical text, suitable for a cappella choirs seeking substantial sacred repertoire.