Es Uzgaju Ganidama (SATB)

I recently performed with and served as a cultural ambassador for the National Guard Orchestra of Latvia. During that time, I became very interested in Latvian culture and Latvian music. Part of their culture is the daina or short folk song/poem. I took a particularly pretty one that seemed appropriate given the end of summer and set it to music in a TTBB + piano setting. I was listening to a lot of Satie when I wrote this, and I feel like that comes through in the accompaniment. I rearranged this in 2024 for SATB. You can also hear this theme in the second movement of my first symphony.

The words are:

Es uzgāju ganidama 

brīnum skaistu ozoliņu; 

Zīda saknes, zelta zari, 

sudrabiņa lapiņām 

I happened upon, while grazing,

a surprisingly beautiful oak tree;

Silken roots, golden branches,

with little silver leaves.