Hodie Beata Virgo Maria

Nicolas Gombert paints a vivid scene from the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. The Latin text, sung by a five-part choir (SATTB), describes the moment the blessed Virgin Mary presents her son. The aged Simeon, filled with the Holy Spirit, receives the child into his arms and blesses God eternally, having been promised he would not see death until he had witnessed Christ the Lord. Gombert’s masterful motet captures the profound spirituality and solemnity of this biblical event, creating a rich and resonant sound world for the sacred text.