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The short setting of the ablution antiphon Asperges me, Domine is a liturgical work, designed for use in the penitential rite that begins (or, strictly, precedes) the Mass. The antiphon, whose words are taken from Psalm 50, is intoned in plainsong, as are further words from the same Psalm and a doxology, the five-part polyphony following each intonation. The tradition of setting the Asperges me polyphonically is most notable in Spain; Monte’s setting differs from the majority of its Spanish cousins by virtue of its somewhat more distant relationship with the plainchant.

from notes by Stephen Rice © 2008