for SA (with divisions) and hand-claps
Heart of Earth sets excerpts of poetry by Laura Purdie Salas that are rich in vivid descriptions of the natural world. Rajasekar was attracted to these texts by the way in which they relate to her home state of Minnesota, as well as places all around the world. The simple melodic lines are embellished with cross-rhythms and vocal scoops. The hand-clapping patterns are intended to be reminiscent of childhood, and a video guide to these, filmed by the composer, is available on the companion website www.oup.com/HeartofEarth. This piece was commissioned and...

for SSA and piano
Setting a text by the contemporary writer and librettist Jennifer Thorp, this upbeat work is instantly catchy. Using vibrant language,Cacao tells a story from the perspective of the cacao seed from which cocoa butter and chocolate is made. The piece is embellished with quirky melodic lines and vibrant rainforest sounds made with the voice, such as the rustling of foliage, insect noises, and tropical birdsong. The independent piano part features complex rhythms and unexpected harmonic twists, giving the funky flavour typical of Young's writing. This piece was written in...

for SA, piano, and percussion
Wanderlust reflects on friendships and the desire to explore, both literally and figuratively. Ideal for children's choir, it features a memorable melody and nostalgic harmonies against the backdrop of train-like sound effects from the voices and percussion (sand blocks, triangle, and train whistle).

for SSA unaccompanied
Marie-Claire Saindon's Keeping Time for Joy abounds with the joy in contemporary writer Sarah Windle's text in this uplifting piece. Folk-like scalic melodies, infused with momentum through changing compound and irregular metres, invite our wintry selves to awaken and soar like summer's swifts and swallows. Effective textural changes, including opening solos over a tutti drone, and imitation between parts enable Saindon to make full use of the upper-voice scoring.

for SSAA and piano
Presented here in an arrangement for upper-voices, this is a beautiful setting of an evocative poem by Emily Dickinson that explores the symbolization of hope as a bird. Quartel offers soaring melodic lines, rich harmonies, and a fluttering accompaniment to illustrate the persistence of hope even through hardship.
Also available in a version for SATB and piano.

for soprano solo, SSAA, and piano
Written for the California Junior High All-State Honor Choir, this piece sets a motivational text by the composer on the theme of embracing new opportunities and, using the metaphor of a river, encouraging singers to champion the bravery required to go against the flow. The sensitively written homophonic choral parts are accompanied by a rippling piano part that takes on the character of the river.