For the latter part of her long life, Ester Mägi (1922–2021) was known as ‘the First Lady of Estonian music’, her modest, charming disposition endearing her to all who met her. But her music reveals the true strength of her personality, and this first complete recording of her songs for female voice – over half a century of compositional activity – covers a striking emotional range, from the ambivalent feelings of falling in love to dramatic ritual invocations of startling force and power. Many of the earlier songs are openly romantic, but Mägi soon began to tap into the hypnotic energy of Estonian runic folksong, with its echoes of village life and its incantations intended to placate a hostile environment.