Throughout the history of western choral music, the motet has been one of the most important forms of choral music. It helped move choral music from solo chant into the glorious polyphonic music of the Renaissance and Baroque period. Highly spiritual in nature, motets serve as both contemplative and joyous responses. In this program, Kantorei surveys the history of the motet, performing works of Renaissance composers Josquin des Prez and Giovanni Palestrina moving into the height of the Baroque period with Johann Sebastian Bach’s Lobet den Herrn (BWV 230). Also included on the program is Johannes Brahms melancholic Warum ist das Licht gegeben (Op. 74 No. 1) as well as examples of famous motets from the 20th and 21st centuries.