A central figure in contemporary Canadian music, Raymond Murray Schafer is known for his experimental approach to composition as well as for his ecological thinking, notably expressed in his 1977 book The Soundscape: The World as Music. The composer explains that his vocal music seeks to establish a spiritual relationship with the environment. Magic Songs, in particular, aim to “restore aspects of nature that have been neglected or destroyed by humanity.”

Estonian composer Veljo Tormis, highly prolific in choral music, blends ancient Finno-Ugric shamanistic traditions with modern references in his work Raua needmine, which questions the use of natural iron for warfare.