Conditor alme siderum, one of the most ancient hymns in the Roman liturgy, is sung at Vespers during Advent. Like the great majority of polyphonic hymn settings in the Renaissance, Vaet’s version sets alternate verses, leaving the odd-numbered verses to be sung to the chant melody. The texture is further varied by altering the number of voices: five in verse 2, four in verse 4 and six in the triple-time verse 6.
from notes by Stephen Rice © 2007
