Laetentur coeli is a five-voice motet by the English renaissance composer William Byrd (1543-1623). Published in the Cantiones sacre of 1589, the text is based on the by then defunct Sarum rite. While probably composed after the introduction of the Act of Uniformity of 1559, which ended the use of Sarum rite, the work sounds rather archaic as well as immature in style. It thus probably dates from a signficantly earlier period than 1589. It seems more similar to the work contained in the Cantiones of 1575 than the later Cantiones sacre.

Byrd's treatment of harmony, melody, dissonance, and cadence are rather awkward. The rhythms are comparatively uninspired and the phrases obvious in implementation. Interestingly, Byrd must have thought so too, because he reworked portions of Laetentur coeli in a later and more impressive motet, In resurrectione tua Domine, published in the same volume.



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