Accipite Spiritum sanctum

Jan Tollius’s motet Accipite Spiritum sanctum opens with a flowing contrapuntal texture for the three voices, STB, creating an immediate sense of sacred contemplation. The Latin text, drawn from the Gospel of John and I Timothy, speaks of the Holy Spirit, the power to forgive sins granted to the apostles, and the qualities required of a bishop. Tollius’s setting captures the gravitas of these words, with a clear sense of direction and a focus on the textual meaning. The interplay between the upper two voices and the bass line provides a rich harmonic foundation for this devotional work.