If the Renaissance four-part motet can claim to be the ultimate musical form, then Palestrina's beloved four-part setting of Sicut cervus surely must be one of the greatest examples. The yearning aspirations of the text are perfectly translated into the musical language. Equally masterful is the manipulation of the perception of time amongst the voices, so that while one part seems suspended and prolonged, such as at ‘ita desiderat’, the others gently progress onwards. The accompanying motet Sitivit anima mea is perhaps less well known but equally beautiful. A sublime effect occurs at ‘lacrimae’ where the three lower parts draw away downwards, and the treble line enters high above them, poignant and exposed.

from notes by Charles Cole © 2025