Elegerunt Apostoli

Mikolaj Zielenski was a prominent Polish composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. His sacred motet Elegerunt Apostoli is set in Latin and draws from biblical narrative. The text recounts the selection of Stephen, a layman full of faith, to serve the early Christian community. It describes his martyrdom at the hands of the Jews, and his final prayer to the Lord Jesus for his spirit. This work is written for double choir, with the upper parts SSAT and the lower parts ATBB or ATBarB, creating a rich, resonant texture. Its genre places it among the sacred motets and offertory hymns of the period.