Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck is considered to be one of the last great composers of Dutch vocal polyphony. Appropriate to the occasion, Sweelinck pulls all the stops of his contrapuntal mastery in the popular Christmas motet Hodie Christus natus est. Like festive garlands the melismatic phrased arches of melody interconnect and coalesce into a compact and richly ornate woven sound texture. Solo-like voice entrances, punctuated rhythms and changes in meter inserted along the way provide additional vitality and underscore the joyful character of the piece.

Lyrics in Latin only, English translation and English preface included!