Palestrina is one of the towering figures of late Renaissance church music whose polyphonic compositions remain actively performed in the Choral repertoire. He composed more than 250 motets. This one, Assumpta Est Maria fortheFeast of the Assumption, is of particular interest.

In 1545, the Council of Trent set out to reform various practices in the Roman Catholic Church in defense of the threats of the new Protestant movement. Clarity ofscripturalwords was one of the issues at stake, espec...