Vidi Speciosam

This anthem was commissioned in 2012 by Simon Winters to celebrate 25 years of the chamber choir Felicitas. Thinking about the unaccompanied vocal texture brought Will Todd back to his 1995 setting of the words of The Venerable Bede, Christus Est Stella, which in turn made him think of the beautiful words of Vidi Speciosam. The setting seeks to convey the ecstatic nature of the text, set almost exclusively in a homophonic style. The harmonies are rich and opulent like the text, which derives from the Song of Songs and describes the appearance of “my fair one” with vivid and beautiful romantic imagery and perfumed language. A striking addition to the choral repertoire, Vidi speciosam is both a joy to sing and a delight for the listener.