Trees for Soprano Solo, SSAA Choir and Water-Tuned Glasses: Choral Octavo, Voice

This piece demonstrates Ešenvalds' genius for creating visceral, memorable soundscapes while remaining performable by intermediate singers. The water-tuned glasses introduce a distinctive timbral layer that captures listeners immediately without gimmickry; they become an integral voice in the texture. Programming this octavo signals your choir's artistic reach and gives audiences an experience they simply cannot get elsewhere.

Trees creates an atmosphere of stillness and natural observation, with the water glasses adding a shimmering, almost ethereal quality to the vocal lines. The soprano solo floats above the supportive SSAA texture, and the overall effect suggests light filtering through leaves and the subtle music of the natural world. There is a contemplative quality throughout, punctuated by moments of fuller choral color.

This octavo suits choirs with intermediate to advanced singers who are comfortable with contemporary harmony and willing to embrace unconventional performance elements. It requires a confident soprano soloist and ensemble members willing to engage with the water glasses as active musical participants rather than novelty effects. Directors programming modern choral literature with artistic ambition will find this piece a natural fit.

• Tune the water glasses carefully before rehearsal and performance. Even slight pitch adjustments dramatically shift the overall blend. Assign reliable ensemble members to this task and establish a standard preparation routine.
• Balance the glass part as a distinct voice rather than as accompaniment. The water-tuned glasses function as a fourth choral line, so mix them into the overall sound rather than relegating them to background texture.
• Shape the piece through dynamic contrast between the soprano solo passages and the full choir sections. Ešenvalds writes with intentional textural peaks and valleys; let those architectural moments breathe.
• Pay close attention to breath placement in the choral sections, especially where the text and vocal line might suggest different musical phrasing. Clear breath technique will help the ensemble articulate Ešenvalds' harmonic language.

Program this octavo in a concert devoted to contemporary choral repertoire or nature-inspired music, where its distinctive instrumentation and poetic sensibility can be properly showcased. It works especially well as a concert opener or closer, as its character and sonic novelty create a memorable frame for the program. Pair it with other Baltic or contemporary works to build thematic coherence.

• Singing contemporary harmony with altered chords and extended tertian structures
• Blending voices with non-traditional pitched instruments (water-tuned glasses)
• Responding to dynamic and textural cues in modern notation
• Supporting a soprano soloist while maintaining ensemble cohesion
• Interpreting text expression in contemporary choral music