Instead of making a painting or sculpture, Susan Philipsz records the sound of her own voice in order to express her ideas and encourage museum visitors to enter into a contemplative state of mind. The artist sings songs from a wide variety of genres, including religious, folk, pop, and punk. Although Oh willow waly (the song heard in The Shallow Sea) seems to be a traditional love ballad, it was actually composed for The Innocents, a 1961 film adaptation of Henry James’s (1843–1916) The Turn of the Screw, which told the story of two children who are haunted by the ghosts of deceased lovers. Even without knowing the song’s source, we respond to Philipsz’s mournful voice and her wistful lyrics that communicate loneliness and lamentation—both ongoing themes in her work. After approximately eight minutes of silence, the looping artwork fills the BMA’s architectural spaces with a sound that reminds us of the human motivation behind much art—the desire to convey emotion and tell stories.