Only in Sleep for SSAATTBB Choir: SSAATTBB Choral Octavo

The soprano solo against a gently shifting harmonic bed gives this piece an intimate quality that reads as both contemporary and timeless. Directors choose it repeatedly because it sits in a sweet spot between technical accomplishment and genuine emotional payoff. Your singers will want to perform it.

Dreamlike and gentle, with an undercurrent of longing. The soprano floats over warm harmonic support that shifts subtly, creating a sense of floating between sleep and waking. It's introspective without being heavy.

Mixed choirs at the high school advanced or college level will find this piece rewarding. It requires solid intonation and ensemble balance but rewards those skills immediately with results that sound polished and mature.

• Balance the soprano melody carefully during the opening; the surrounding voices provide texture, not competition. Rehearse the eight-part writing as two choirs so each voice hears its relationship to the harmonic foundation.
• Find the natural breath points that Ešenvalds provides rather than imposing your own. The phrasing often spans longer than expected, and honoring that creates the piece's floating quality.
• Work Teasdale's text for meaning first. The words shape the music, and singers who understand the poem bring the nuance that makes the a cappella writing sing.

Program this for spring concert or end-of-year performances where you want to showcase the choir's refinement. Pair it with other contemporary a cappella pieces or use it as a quiet moment in a diverse concert that balances energy and reflection.

• eight-part ensemble blend and intonation
• balancing solo against sustained harmonic support
• text-driven phrasing in contemporary music
• singing independent voice lines within complex harmony