Stetit Jesus sets a passage from St Luke’s Gospel (24: 36–39) in which the risen Christ appears to the disciples and assures them of the truth of the Resurrection. The initial description of the scene is set to a vigorous motif, perhaps emphasizing the physical nature of Jesus’s presence; as is frequently the case in this period, the transition from narrative to direct speech is made by varying the style of declamation. Whereas many composers would have used homophony for direct speech, Regnart instead sets Jesus’s saying ‘Pax vobis’ (‘Peace be with you’) to an undulating motif sung in tenths between countertenor and baritone, which is then taken up and varied by other voices. Similarly, in the second half of the piece, the consternation of the disciples is expressed with rapid syncopated writing, and Jesus’s reassurance with a more placid texture in longer note values, before a vigorous final Alleluia.
from notes by Stephen Rice © 2007
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