Jean Sibelius’s Six Songs for Male Choir Op. 18 are published as Urtext with the original Finnish lyrics for the first time in this edition. Most of these stem from the Finnish national epics Kalevala and Kanteletar, but the texts of Sydämeni laulu (“Song of My Heart”) and Metsämiehen laulu (“Song of the Woodmen”) are from the poet Aleksis Kivi.

The individual pieces originated over a couple of years for different choirs and occasions and were only later combined by Sibelius under a common Opus number. Venematka (“Boat Trip”) originated as early as 1893, Saarellaa palaa (“Fire on the Island”) was first performed in 1895 and Sortunut ääni (“The Broken Voice”) in 1899. Sydämeni laulu was published in the same year together with Metsämiehen laulu, while Terve kuu (“Greetings to the Moon”) was not composed by Sibelius until 1901. The contents of the collection Op. 18 were subsequently extended, revised and repositioned by Sibelius many times; the final shape with six settings was established in 1930. Four of these settings were also arranged for mixed choir and have already been published as an Urtext edition (ChB 5372).

The edition includes translations of the lyrics in German and English as well as an informative preface that is based on volume VII/2 of the complete edition Jean Sibelius Works, just like the score.