Rorate Caeli

This eight-part motet, from Joncas_x0019_ s collection O God of Past and Present, is stunning. The song_x0019_ s tranquil beginning, opening first with women_x0019_ s voices and then adding the men, blossoms to a breathtaking climax, before returning to restfulness. The original Hebrew text is a poetic cry for joy, and Joncas has done a superb job translating that joy into music.