"As a lily among thorns, so is my love among women." (Song of Solomon 2:2). The medieval church since St. Augustine had appropriated the sensual nuptual imagery of the Song of Solomon to its worship, allegorizing its erotic poetry first as the love of Christ for His bride the church, and then as a celebration of the beauty of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The single verse set by Antoine Brumel had been adopted into the Catholic liturgy as an Antiphon for Vespers during the Feast of Mary's Purification (February 2), a liturgy ripe with references to her immaculate conception and delivery. Since Brumel apparently used no pre-existent chant melodies in writing his motet, its context either within the Catholic liturgy or for private devotions remains uncertain. The sensuality of his musical setting could serve either. Sicut lilium is by far the shortest of Brumel's motets. Yet within its little space, he has carefully polished the facets of a musical gemstone. Coronae divide the motet into tiny sections. The first, "Like a lily," blossoms in four-voiced imitation that sweetly avoids most dissonance. The next pair of words, "Among thorns," is also graceful in melody, though the music bristles with sharper ornamental dissonances. The comparative phrase, "Thus is my beloved," partakes of homophony, a kind of chordal writing that presents complete equality among the voices. The concluding two words of text, "…among women," compares the beloved (and the Blessed Virgin) to all other women, and thus deserves a more extended contrapuntal phrase; Brumel even repeats this phrase, as if to reiterate the unequal comparison between Mary and all other representatives of the female gender. In the span of 60 seconds, Brumel has concentrated his musical art to vitally present his vision of our Lady's unworldly beauty.

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