Lassus (Lasso) was, easily, the most dominant and influential musical figure of the 16th century, his works in constant demand and widely published in his own lifetime. So highly regarded were his works that they were often published in their own collections – unusual for the time, when most composers' music was published in anthologies along with works by other composers. Among these collections one counts the massive, five-volume collection of sacred works, the Patrocinium Musices ['Defender of Music']. Within, one finds the most varied of musical settings, including motets, Masses, Magnificats, as well as things which don't begin with the letter "m!"

This month's clip is of one of my favorite standard texts, a "Gaudent in coelis." (cf. this old CCM.)