I Believe for SSATTBB Mixed Choir, Solo Violin and String Orchestra: Choral Octavo, Voice

Ešenvalds writes for choir with genuine understanding of vocal range and blend; the interplay between the SSATTBB voices and solo violin creates natural momentum without requiring elaborate staging or additional rehearsal demands. The piece sits comfortably in the intermediate repertoire range, offering your singers a contemporary work with spiritual resonance that audiences find genuinely moving.

The music unfolds with quiet conviction, moving between moments of intimate vulnerability and broader choral warmth. The solo violin sings above and within the choir's texture, creating a dialogue that feels both personal and collective.

Mixed choirs performing at intermediate to advanced levels, especially those with access to a string orchestra or able to hire one for concert performances. Directors looking for contemporary sacred or concert-hall repertoire that engages both singers and string players with equal musical interest.

• Balance the solo violin line so it remains audible above the choir without asking singers to undersing; mark dynamic crossings in rehearsal where the string parts swell.
• Give the choir's outer voices (soprano and bass) clear textural responsibility early in rehearsal, establishing the harmonic foundation before blending inner voices.
• Coordinate with your string orchestra conductor (if split leadership) on tempo stability in transitions between choir-only and full ensemble sections.
• Let the piece breathe at natural phrase endings; resist the urge to push tempo forward, which often happens when singers feel exposed with strings.

This works beautifully as a centerpiece in a concert pairing contemporary choral works with chamber orchestral accompaniment, or as a climactic moment in a sacred or thematic program where intimate ensemble music gives way to larger forces. Consider programming it where the string section can remain on stage for context, allowing the audience to appreciate the instrumental-vocal partnership.

• Blend and balance with string accompaniment
• Sustaining legit tone while following an independent melodic line above
• Precision in rhythmic coordination across six voice parts with orchestral cues
• Dynamic control in exposed passages with reduced textural support
• Attention to linguistic clarity and text expression within contemporary harmonic language