Fulcite Me Floribus

Oliver Hayes's Fulcite Me Floribus is a rich SATB motet setting a Latin text drawn from the Song of Songs. The music unfolds with a flowing, devotional character, moving from introspective moments to passages of greater harmonic warmth. The composer paints a vivid sound-world, exploring the lush imagery of the text: the beloved as a lily among thorns, resting in the shade of a cherished tree, and longing for love. The choir is asked to 'sustain me with flowers, surround me with apples, for I languish with love,' a plea beautifully articulated through the interplay of the four vocal lines. The piece concludes by referencing the 'enclosed garden, a fountain sealed,' evoking a sense of sacred intimacy and divine presence.