Hic est praecursor dilectus

This motet by Jan Tollius is a setting of a Latin text celebrating John the Baptist. It would be most appropriate for services during Advent or Christmastide, as the text refers to him as the 'beloved forerunner' and 'light shining before the Lord', who 'prepared the way for the Lord in the desert' and 'showed the Lamb of God'. The full SSATB voicing allows for rich harmonic textures, and the polyphony would have been sung from staff notation. Tollius's response to the text is one of profound reverence, illuminating the minds of listeners as John himself illuminated the minds of men.