Kryštof Harant - Qui confidunt in Domino (excerpt)

Near the turn of the seventeenth century, Czech composer Kryštof Harant was struck by the religious pluralism he encountered in Ottoman Jerusalem, totally foreign to Europe at that time. In his travelogue, in the same section where he describes composing the motet "Qui confidunt in Domino," he relates an anecdote to his European readers that conveys something of the beauty of peaceful coexistence. He hits "pause" in his travelogue to describe the tolerant approach of Suleiman the Magnificent. As Harant puts it, in response to advisors pressuring him to force Christians and Jews to convert to Islam, Suleiman went with them to a window which looked into a garden, and...showing them the various colored flowers, said, “As the variety of flowers not only does not spoil the garden, but refreshes and cheers the eyes and mind, so variety of religion and creed does not...injure my lands, but...is of utility, if only they observe peace and are obedient to my orders.” (Erika Honisch)

Translation:
They that trust in the Lord are as Mount Sion: he forever shall not be moved who dwells in Jerusalem. Mountains surround it: so the Lord surrounds His people, from henceforth, now and forever.

Performed by Schola Antiqua:
Laura Lynch, Stephanie Culica (soprano)
Matthew Dean (alto)
Nolan Carter (tenor)
Michael Alan Anderson, Joseph Labozetta (bass)