Choral Anthology 5 for Mixed Choir (SATB): Choral Works (inc. Oratorios)

This anthology gathers works that showcase Ešenvalds' mastery of choral texture and his ability to set text with unusual sensitivity to language and meaning. Directors will appreciate having a curated selection of his sacred and secular pieces in one volume, making it easy to program multiple works across a season or choose individual pieces that suit specific concert themes.

Ešenvalds' music draws listeners into intimate, contemplative spaces; these pieces balance ethereal sonorities with moments of unexpected harmonic richness. The works feel both modern and timeless, combining clear melodic voices with sophisticated harmonic language that creates depth without resorting to extreme dissonance.

Mixed choirs with intermediate to advanced sight-reading skills and interest in contemporary sacred music will find substantial, rewarding material here. This anthology suits university choirs, cathedral choirs, community ensembles with strong fundamentals, and high school choirs ready for pieces beyond standard festival fare.

• Balance the inner voices carefully in sustained passages; Ešenvalds often writes counterpoint that rewards precise ensemble intonation and allows each line to breathe independently.
• Pay attention to text underlay and linguistic phrasing, particularly in works with sacred or non-English texts; the composer's setting reveals intentions about where to shape musical phrases.
• Use the anthology's variety to study different harmonic approaches within one composer's voice; this builds your choir's flexibility and helps singers understand how context shapes interpretation.
• Rehearse sections that combine divisi soprano or alto lines with care; Ešenvalds frequently splits upper voices to create textural depth, and clean execution transforms the effect from muddied to luminous.

This collection works beautifully as a thematic core for a concert of contemporary choral music, or you can weave individual pieces throughout a season to provide fresh, high-quality works between standards. The mix of sacred and secular pieces makes it flexible for both concert hall and liturgical contexts.

• Reading and performing complex divisi voicing in both upper and lower voices
• Text expression and linguistic phrasing in multiple languages
• Sustaining intonation in slow-moving harmonic progressions
• Ensemble balance when singing independent contrapuntal lines
• Interpreting contemporary harmonic language and modal writing