The State Choir Latvija, conducted by Māris Sirmais, have released a CD dedicated to the works of Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds. Entitled At the Foot of the Sky and recorded at the Rīga St. John’s Church in April of 2013, the CD collects eight of Ešenvalds’ choir compositions.

Ešenvalds, who has become one of the most popular and best known Latvian composers, and many of his choir works have become beloved by both singers and audiences alike, with “Dvēseles dziesma”, the closing song at the 2013 Song Festival, being a recent example of his ability to compose music that resonates with performers and listeners. Ešenvalds also spent two years at Trinity College at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom as the Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts, a position he held from 2011 to 2013.

The State Choir Latvia, who celebrated their 70th anniversary in 2012, is a seven time recipient of the Latvian Great Music Award, and has been conducted by Sirmais since 1997. The Choir has performed worldwide, from Singapore to New York, and from Oman to Russia.

The CD also features biographies of the State Choir, Ešenvalds and Sirmais in both English and Latvian, as well as an introduction by British composer Gabriel Jackson (whose works were also recorded by the choir on the CD A Ship with Unfurled Sails).

For further information, please visit the State Choir Latvija website at http://www.koris.lv and Ēriks Ešenvalds’ website at http://www.eriksesenvalds.com

Track listing:

1. Tāls ceļš

2. Northern Lights

3. Vineta

4. Seneca’s Zodiac

5. Stars

6. Sun Dogs I: The Witnesses

7. Sun Dogs II: The Beauty of This Miracle

8. In Paradisium