This work for female voices sprung from the composer’s long time fascination with bees, both of their sophisticated bio-social architecture, as well as their colourful representations in different cultures. Mielo, meaning honey in Esperanto, is a set of three ‘moments musicaux’, is a first attempt in depicting aspects of life of these creatures, with three pieces of text of diverse origins – Emily Dickinson, Virgil (Book IV of The Georgics) and an old English rhyme on bees.

• I Bee! I’m expecting you! (Emily Dickinson)
• II omnibus una quies operum (Virgil)
• III A swarm of bees in May (anon.)