Vox Matris

(Mother's Voice)

Poet/Lyricist: 

Dorothy Petgen

Beginning in a simple unison— direct, compelling, loving; with dramatic intent,"Vox Matris" swells with all the love, protection, and shining guidance that a mother can hope to give. Though penned in 1923, (the singular poem of Dorothy Petgen's published by Poetry, the Magazine of Verse), the poet's words ring out with relevance in today's world.

Level: 

Mod-Advanced
Item Voicing/Instrumentation Duration Price Audio View Score Quantity
JS-133
licensed PDF 		SSAA, piano 6:00 $2.75 https://joanszymko.com/sites/joanszymko.com/files/audio_samples/JS-133_Vox%20Matris.wav

Audio Credits: 

Seattle Girls Choir, Prime Voci, Sarra S. Doyle, Director
Text

Vox Matris (Mother's Voice)

Dorothy Petgen

I have given you sight
Beyond my eyes—
For star-braided mountains,
And for all things invisible and amazing.

I have taken a fragile fire
Out of my heart,
That I might give you light to find a shining
Beyond these luminous shadows, 
And this disastrous darkness.

I have given you the singing of my veins 
For a melody;
It shall outsoar all prayers and all crying, 
And all silence.

I blind, see bewildering visions;
I, sitting in shadow, am drenched with sunrises;
Dumb, I am consumed with music.
Having given all things, I possess all things,
Save you only.

(1923)

in the public domain

itemtext: 

licensed PDF
Video
Vox Matris, The Seattle Girls Choir, Prime Voce

Vox Matris

Subscribe to E-news

.