The text of Ubi caritas has its place in the Holy Thursday liturgy celebrating the apostles’ agape with Jesus. The simple, clear words encourage us to put love at the center of our actions – for Manfred Länger this is the core statement of his faith.
The sensitive setting is especially characterized by changes in timbre created by different combinations of voices. The basis is an unostentatious melody that seems to float over the accompaniment in triple meter. A lively four-part middle section which can also be sung in a small setting provides a slight contrast to the calm, flowing beginning. After the repetition of the first section a hymnal climax arises, that comes to an end in the initial calm again.