Justin Appel

Dear Friends in Christ,

The readings for this morning include several sections from Psalm 119, so I wanted to share a Latin motet that covers two sections of the psalm: Memor esto verbi tui (Zayin) and Portio mea, Domine (Heth).

This Latin setting, Memor esto verbi tui, was written by the great Josquin des Prez (c. 1450-1521), a Flemish composer who worked in places like Cambrai and Paris, as well as in Milan, Rome, and Naples. He is widely admired as one of the finest composer of the Renaissance, and one who illustrates a midpoint in the longer transition from the Middle Ages to the full flowering of Renaissance practice.

What I love about Josquin’s music is its supremely dark, rich, and atmospheric sense of melancholy (his work includes a number of laments). This sound contrasts sharply from a ‘sunny’ English sound, and matches the imploring quality of the psalm text.

Yours in Christ,
Justin

See the text of Psalm 118 (Zayin and Heth) here.

Click on the link below to hear Josquin’s motet.