Erravi sicut ovis

This sacred motet by Thomas Crecquillon, for SATB choir, sets a Latin text drawn from the Psalms. It would be suitable for services of penitence or reflection. The opening lines, 'Erravi sicut ovis quae periit' (I have gone astray like a lost sheep), immediately establish a mood of humble confession. The music explores the plea for divine guidance, 'Vias tuas Domine, demonstra mihi' (Show me your ways, Lord), and the subsequent 'Delicta iuventutis meae et ignorantias meas ne memineris Domine' (Remember not the sins of my youth and my ignorance, Lord). Crecquillon's setting is a thoughtful response to this deeply personal and universal expression of faith and reliance on God.