Miklós Csemiczky: Vox dilecti mei (SATBB)

Miklós Csemiczky’s Vox dilecti mei is a setting of the Latin text from the Song of Songs in the Bible. The composition portrays the arrival of the beloved and the intimate call that follows. The vivid imagery of the text – the beloved leaping across the mountains, standing behind the wall, and the invitation “Surge, amica mea, speciosa mea, et veni” (“Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come”) – creates an expressive and deeply atmospheric setting.

Written for mixed choir, the work unfolds the Latin text through Csemiczky’s rich and carefully layered choral writing. At the opening, the voices introduce the “Vox dilecti mei” motif successively, gradually building a denser and more intense vocal texture. More animated and contrasting passages alternate with lyrical, reflective moments, giving the work a strong sense of musical development.

Vox dilecti mei combines the solemnity and sensual imagery of the biblical text with a contemporary and highly expressive choral language. It is particularly suited to concert programmes seeking to explore the lyrical and spiritual dimensions of contemporary choral music.