Trejdevini (A series of Latvian folksongs) (Upper Voice Choir): SSA Choir

Jekabsone understands exactly what upper voice choirs can do without straining the tessituras or patience of young singers. The percussion parts anchor the arrangements without demanding a full rhythm section, making this accessible for schools with modest instrumentation. Most importantly, these songs feel urgent and present rather than folkloric, which keeps singers genuinely invested in the music.

These arrangements have the immediacy of songs passed around a table rather than handed down from on high. The harmonies are fresh enough to sound contemporary, yet the melodies carry the weight of tradition. Rhythmically, there's a lithe quality, a sense of movement that prevents the music from ever settling into predictability.

Upper voice choirs, particularly at the high school and young adult levels, will find music that respects their voices while offering real musical substance. Directors seeking repertoire beyond the standard canon will appreciate material that offers cultural authenticity without condescension.

• Treat the percussion as a harmonic element, not mere accompaniment. The instruments should sit in the same acoustic space as the voices; they're partners, not background.
• Let the text shape your phrasing. Latvian vowels are pure and direct; resist any urge to blend them into a generic choral sound.
• Encourage your singers to listen across the SSA voicing for the internal counterpoint. Jekabsone writes lines that speak to each other, and young choristers often discover independence they didn't know they had.
• Record a rehearsal run-through early and listen back as an ensemble. Hearing themselves in these unfamiliar harmonies builds confidence and ownership quickly.

Frame this collection as a cultural centerpiece in a concert devoted to world music, or use individual selections throughout the year as palette cleansers between heavier repertoire. A program pairing Latvian folksongs with Nordic or Eastern European works creates a coherent thematic arc that audiences find both surprising and satisfying.

• Reading altered harmonic functions and non-diatonic voice leading
• Clarity and precision in Latin and non-English text
• Rhythmic independence within ensemble (handling shifting meters and syncopation)
• Listening for melodic line across three-part texture
• Balancing voices in mixed-voicing arrangements for transparency