Cancion de el Alma: en una noche escura was commissioned by Classical Minnesota Public Radio for the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and premiered at the Cathedral of Saint Paul on November 22, 2013 (recorded by MPR). Hailed as a "masterpiece" (Chicago Tribune), the piece has since received its European premiere in February/March 2015 by the Nederlands Kamerkoor under the direction of Daniel Reuss. 

The text, often referred to as “The Dark Night of the Soul” is one in a trilogy of poems written by 16^th century Spanish mystic St John of the Cross. The message of the poem that I found most moving is the idea of allowing the fire that burns in my heart to guide me.