I recently completed a motet setting of the hymn Caelitum Joseph, in three arrangements: SAA, ATBr, TBrB. With the exception of the opening chord in the first verse, each verse is set the same. The voicing is relatively simple, with the bottom part frequently in parallel 6ths with the top part. The piece ends with a traditional Amen. You can find PDFs of each arrangement at the bottom of this post (CC-BY-NC-ND).
SAA
ATBr
TBrB
Interpretation
The hymn should be sung sweetly with a definite slowing at the rall and rit markings. The playback only seems to catch the ritardando on the final verse, but the other verses could be interpreted similarly.
Related Compositions
About the Featured Image
The featured image is St. Joseph and the Christ Child by Guido Reni. It is in the public domain in the United States.
