This late 2003 release showcases material ranging from rousing Slavic folk carols and lush, meditative Eastern Orthodox sacred choral works, to pre-Christian incantations for the longest nights of the year and medieval Sephardic songs for Chanukah.

Additional highlights include an ancient Winter Solstice song to the Goddess of the Sun from Latvia, sung in Latgallian, and a medley of Bulgarian folk carols recalling the nativity sung in the traditional antiphonal diaphonic village style.

Other works include a traditional Croatian carol for the New Year, a polyphonic hymn to the Virgin and a robust Alilo (Hallelujah) from 10th century Georgia, a traditional Hungarian carol, a tender Romanian 'colinda' (folk carol), and an original choral setting of a popular Hebrew folkdance tune.

Kitka engages in a unique process of acquiring new material: each member of the ensemble works closely with native master folk singers and ethnomusicologists, listens to rare archival recordings of traditional Balkan and Slavic singers and choral ensembles, or traces the seasonal musical legacies of her own ethnic heritage. As a result, Kitka has uncovered, researched, and arranged a host of historical seasonal folk music rarely heard by American audiences.

The singers of Kitka are: Leslie Bonnett, Shira Cion, Catherine Rose Crowther, Deborah Dietrich, Juliana Graffagna, Janet Kutulas, Ann Moorhead, Moira Gwendolyn Smiley, and Lily Storm.