Monte – Asperges me, Domine

“Asperges me, Domine” by Philippe de Monte (1521–1603) is a 5-voice Renaissance motet setting of the traditional Latin liturgical text. It accompanies the Asperges, a ritual where a priest sprinkles the congregation with holy water before Sunday Mass to symbolize purification and baptismal renewal.

Key details about this work:

• Composer: Philippe de Monte was a prolific Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance.
• Text: Taken from Psalm 51 (50 in the Vulgate): “Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo, et mundabor; lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor” (Thou shalt sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow).