Legend of the Walled-in Woman for SSAATTBB Choir: SSAATTBB Choral Octavo

This work won the Young Composers category at the International Rostrum of Composers for good reason: it takes an ancient folktale and builds an entire harmonic world around timbral transformation rather than plot summary. The piece moves from direct quotations of Albanian folk material into abstracted, ethereal passages that honor the legend's gravity without ever becoming heavy-handed. Choirs sing it and audiences remember it.

Haunting and crystalline. The opening sits in a space between quotation and dream, with the ancient melody threading through gradually shifting harmonic colors. As the piece progresses, the folksong fragments dissolve into swirling textures that feel suspended, neither quite tonal nor atonal, before returning to something like resolution. There's an ache to it that stays with singers and listeners long after the final sound.

Experienced mixed choirs with secure sight-readers and comfort in extended harmony. The eight-part writing and contemporary harmonic language demand maturity, but the folksong foundation makes it more accessible than purely abstract works at this level. Ensembles programming world music, contemporary work, or thematic concerts around Eastern European culture will find this essential.

• Study the folksong quotations at the beginning as standalone entities before integrating them into the larger texture. Understanding what the ancient melody does on its own helps singers hear how it dissolves and reappears throughout.
• Balance the eight-part writing by rehearsing in smaller sectional combinations first (SSAA, TTBB, AATT) so singers locate their harmonic function before engaging the full chord.
• Pay attention to dynamic shaping across the longer phrases. The piece relies on subtle shifts in registration and color rather than dramatic forte passages; undersinging will flatten the emotional arc.
• Consider the legend's narrative weight when shaping your interpretation. This isn't abstract music; the sacrifice at the work's heart should inform how you approach phrasing and breath points.

Pair this with other Ešenvalds works or with contemporary settings of folklore from other cultures to create a thematic program about how composers engage ancestral material. The piece also works as a powerful closer to a concert, particularly one exploring Eastern European music or commissioned/award-winning work. Its length and emotional weight make it suitable as an anchor piece rather than filler.

• Reading and sustaining eight-part mixed voicing with clarity
• Understanding timbral transformation as a compositional device
• Singing contemporary harmony outside traditional functional tonality
• Bringing cultural context into interpretation decisions
• Balancing a primary melody with complex supporting harmonies