Eriks Ešenvalds - Selected Songs for Mixed Choir, Volume 2: SSATTBB Choir

Ešenvalds writes for mixed choir with an acute ear for how voices blend and balance. These shorter works serve as perfect anchors for concert programming, substantive enough to command attention but concise enough to pair with larger-scale pieces without exhausting rehearsal time. His harmonic language opens doors to contemporary music without pushing singers into uncomfortable territory.

Ešenvalds' harmonic language creates a sense of stillness and luminosity. Listeners experience both intimate warmth and expansive sound, often within the same piece, generating that particular quality of contemporary choral writing that feels modern without alienating audiences.

Mixed choirs at the high school and college level will find immediate use here. These works suit directors looking to program meaningful contemporary music without requiring extensive rehearsal time or experimental vocal techniques.

• Pay close attention to his use of divided voicing within sections; the piece achieves its luminous quality precisely through careful voice-part independence rather than block harmony.
• Record a rehearsal run-through and listen back to check blend across the SSATTBB voicing, which demands more ear-training work than four-part writing.
• Space rehearsal time for unaccompanied passages (if present) after warm-ups when intonation is most secure; Ešenvalds often relies on tuning that's slightly elevated to achieve brightness.
• Build the dynamic architecture gradually through the rehearsal process rather than locking tempos early; these pieces often benefit from slight rubato that emerges through ensemble trust.

These shorter works fit naturally into mixed concert programming, particularly when you need contemporary choral repertoire that connects with audiences unfamiliar with modern classical music. Cluster multiple Ešenvalds pieces across a season, or use individual selections as concert centerpieces between larger works.

• Balancing six distinct voice parts with clear individual lines
• Tuning contemporary tertian harmony with extended intervals
• Sustaining tone quality across dynamic range in unaccompanied singing
• Reading and executing precise rhythmic subdivision in mixed meters
• Interpreting rubato and musicality in minimalist harmonic contexts