Hi Jennifer

I love that version of Nigra Sum. I sang it in show choir 10 years ago in SSA and I'm still singing it in my shower. Glad to know I'm not alone in my appreciation.

Thanks!
Kristen Koester

Hello Jennifer:

As a director of CELESTA, a women's choir in West Vancouver, BC, Nigra Sum has become an integral part of our repertoire. I, too, needed background information to give credence to our choral interpretation. I consulted various sources at the time and thought I'd share a couple of my findings with you. Needless to say, not all sources agree with each other's interpretations. We've gone along with the following:
The young woman who lives outside the palace in your comments appears to have been a young shepherd girl, whom Solomon fell in love with and wanted to meet. One source has it that she was related in some way to a shepherd boy through whom Solomon needed to communicate - with great difficulty. Apparently, despite his efforts, the relationship remained limited to correspondence, which we have come to appreciate as a beautiful courting dialogue.
And the beat goes on...

Best wishes,

Peter Vanderhorst