Master of the papal chapel, Palestrina composed a parody mass for 5 voices using his motet   "Sicut lilium » whose text is taken from the Song of Solomon.

This text of intense sensuality remains a subject of discussion and controversy for the Christian exegetes who see it as an allegory of the love relationship between Christ and the Church, Christ and the human soul.

Specifically in this motet, it is the image of the Virgin Mary, the lily among the thorns, which is celebrated .

Missa « Sicut lilium » by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Motets by Jacobus Arcadelt, Francisco Guerrero, Jean Lhéritier.