Motet

Motet derives its name from the Latin for "verbal utterance" and is a short musical setting, for chorus, of a religious text not specifically connected to the liturgy of a given day, and therefore suitable for use in any service. One of the pre-eminent forms of Renaissance music.

In Medieval music, motets are quite different: often written in two or more languages, usually with wildly divergent secular and sacred texts.

Composers:

• Josquin Des Prez
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
• William Byrd