This Communion Motet is a setting of the final two verses of St. Thomas Aquinas’ chant Pange lingua, scored for mixed voices without division. The text is an adoration of the Eucharist, and is suitable to be sung during communion at any time of year. This setting quotes the chant directly in the soprano line, with rhythmic emphasis added to accentuate the flow of the chant.
Premier performance: 3 May, 2026 by the Choir of St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church
Text and Translation
Tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui,
et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui.
Præstet fides supplementum sensuum defectui.
Genitori genitoque laus et jubilatio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque sit et benedictio!
Procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio!
Amen.
Therefore, so great a Sacrament
Let us venerate with heads bowed
And let the old practice give way to the new rite;
Let faith provide a supplement
For the failure of the senses.
To the Begetter and the Begotten,
Be praise and jubilation,
Hail, honour, virtue also, and blessing too:
To the One proceeding from Both
Let there be equal praise.
Amen.
Summary
Sacred / Secular
Composer: Nicholas Busch
Lyricist: St. Thomas Aquinas
Language: Latin
Ensemble: Mixed choir unaccompanied, no divisi
Minimum performers required: 4 (1 per part)
Engraving style: Open score, no piano reduction