Written for vocal ensemble, the work grew out of a shared creative process involving the choir of the Warsaw Uprising Primary  School no. 344, its conductor Małgorzata Czajka, and composer  Mateusz Ryczek. Its inspiration is the Żurawka river, channeled  underground in the eighteenth century. What struck the composer was the children’s empathy and their unexpected decision  to look through the eyes of a river confined beneath the city, with  desires and dreams of its own. Żurawka’s emotions found expression in texts including “I was free and beautiful” and “I cannot  see the real world.” In the music, Ryczek sought to capture that  vision, treating the children’s reflections with respect—and more  than a touch of admiration.