Last year, as part of my Lenten observance, I posted a bit of sacred music each and every day. I was a little surprised (and really pleased) with how well it worked, giving me a nice bit of focus, both spiritually and blog-wise. So I'm going to try it again, starting with the Polish composer Feliks Nowowiejski's setting of the traditional "Parce Domine," which comes from his "Kreuzauffindung (The Finding of the Cross)" oratorio.
Sadly, I could not find a single instance of the oratorio online, so there's no context for this gem. (Interestingly, it was also exceedingly difficult to find performances of this particular piece. And that surprises me, given its beauty. But then, so does its lack of fame.)
Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo:
ne in aeternum irascaris nobis.
Miserere nostri Deus
secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.
Spare, O Lord, spare your people:
be not angry with us forever.
Have mercy on us, O God,
according to your great kindness.
Attribution(s): "Bell Tower" (source) via CC BY-SA 4.0.