O orzchis Ecclesia

O orzchis Ecclesia – for contralto (with a range from C#3 to F#5) and keyboard (e.g. piano or organ) – is a setting of one of Hildegard von Bingen's customarily ecstatic texts illuminating the heavenly aspirations and destiny of the Church, including Hildegard's own Latin neologisms ("lingua ignota"). Musically, the song contains examples of the composer Antony Pitts's "murmuration" technique, and may be sung in concert or in a liturgical context. O orzchis Ecclesia was commissioned by contralto Emma Warburton for first performances in Sydney and Melbourne in September 2023.