Ecce panis, CG 136

Charles Gounod's setting of Ecce panis, for SATB choir, is a sacred hymn in Latin. The music opens with a gentle, flowing texture, the voices weaving together to create a warm and devotional atmosphere. The text, drawn from a medieval sequence, reflects on the Eucharist as the "bread of angels", contrasting it with the manna given to the Israelites and the lamb sacrificed at Passover. The second part of the text, addressed to Jesus as the "good shepherd", prays for spiritual nourishment and protection, asking to be made a fellow heir with the saints in the land of the living. Gounod's setting supports this profound text with a devotional and prayerful musical language.