Not just one, but two Spanish kings – Philip II and Philip III – sponsored the publication of a collection of masses in which the only complete work by the Flemish composer Géry de Ghersem (1573-1630) has been preserved. The near-complete loss of Ghersem’s entire oeuvre, including almost two hundred villancicos collected by John IV of Portugal, is a cruel twist of fate. The Missa Ave virgo sanctissima is a sensational piece of music in which the composer from Tournai piles on the rich textures and luxurious sonority. The seven-part mass, based on the motet Ave virgo sanctissima by Francisco Guerrero, is heard alongside motets by Ghersem’s contemporaries.