Genuit puerpera regem

Elzear Genet's motet Genuit puerpera regem sets a beautiful Latin text which celebrates the Virgin Mary's unique role as mother of Christ. The text praises her as having the joy of a mother yet retaining her virginity, noting that she was without equal, before or after. This sacred work is written for four-part choir (ATTB) and follows a long tradition of polyphonic settings of Marian texts. The composer's name suggests a possible connection to the late 15th or early 16th century, a period rich in sacred polyphony.