In monte oliveti

The words of this motet are taken from the Gospel accounts of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before his arrest. The composer Leonhard Paminger sets the plea of Jesus to his Father, 'If it is possible, let this cup pass from me,' and his weary admission that 'the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' The text continues with Jesus's instruction to his disciples to 'Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.' Paminger’s setting for SATTB voices in Latin reflects the sacred and devotional nature of the text. This is a powerful exploration of human vulnerability and divine submission, rendered with the solemnity appropriate to the subject matter.