Cecilia McDowall

A setting of one of the seven Advent 'O' Antiphons, O Oriens makes use of luxurious and exotic harmonies, creating a shimmering texture. The focus on human enlightenment in winter's darkness means the...

for SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied This Advent carol is based on words from John Donne's Holy Sonnets. McDowall creates a captivating atmosphere as the voices explore a mystical soundworld. The s...

A setting of one of the seven Advent 'O' Antiphons, O Oriens makes use of luxurious and exotic harmonies, creating a shimmering texture. The focus on human enlightenment in winter's darkness means the...

Written to commemorate the centenary of the foundation of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Brightest Star sets a powerful text by Seán Street. The poem describ...

McDowall's setting of Isaac Watts' Cradle Hymn is beautifully tender, coloured by its rich harmonies, suspensions, and chromatic notes. The melodies are complemented by sustained 'oo's and 'ah's and r...

This is an evocative setting of a powerful text by Seán Street describing the call for assistance made by the occupied Channel Islands in 1944 and the response of the Red Cross ship, the Vega, which c...

McDowall's setting of Isaac Watts' Cradle Hymn is beautifully tender, coloured by its rich harmonies, suspensions, and chromatic notes. The melodies are complimented by sustained 'oo's and 'ah's and r...

Traditionally sung on Christmas Eve, 'O Virgo virginum' is often described as the eighth ‘O' Antiphon and praises Mary, ‘O virgin of (amongst) virgins.' McDowall's setting is vigorous and joyful, with...

McDowall brings to life a mystical, brooding nativity text by Nicholas Dakin with dramatic octatonic melodies and parallel movement in fourths and fifths. The propulsive 6/8 metre is decorated with du...

McDowall brings to life a mystical, brooding nativity text by Nicholas Dakin with dramatic octatonic melodies and parallel movement in fourths and fifths. The propulsive 6/8 metre is decorated with du...

This jubilant carol sets an evocative fourteenth-century text celebrating the birth of Christ. With a lilting, medieval feel and changing metres, Of A Rose has been recorded by The Sixteen on their al...

This solemn yet dramatic work sets a traditional Latin prayer lauding the Virgin Mary, with intense melodic lines that are at once steadfast and arresting, reflecting the mystery of the immaculate con...

Make we joy now in this fest is a lively and vibrant setting of a 15th-century macaronic text. An eminently memorable and energetic chorus frames expressive verses that vividly illuminate the medieval...

From the collection For Him all Stars, 'Cradle Song' is a wistful 3/4-time Christmas lullaby which sets a text by William Blake. Scored for SA and piano, it features gentle but persistently discordant...

For this joyous piece, McDowall set a text from the Ambrosian Rite celebrating the Virgin Mary's recent motherhood. The lively organ accompaniment and strong rhythmic drive create an instantly celebra...

For this joyous piece, McDowall set a text from the Ambrosian Rite celebrating the Virgin Mary's recent motherhood. The lively organ accompaniment and strong rhythmic drive create an instantly celebra...

O Antiphon Sequence was conceived as a recital piece, although each of its individual movements would also work in a liturgical context. Each movement is a response to an extract of liturgical text fr...

O Antiphon Sequence was conceived as a recital piece, although each of its individual movements would also work in a liturgical context. Each movement is a response to an extract of liturgical text fr...

The charming and vibrant original melody of this attractive carol glides above harmonies that are almost entirely diatonic, but whose inventiveness and frequent passing dissonances mean that predictab...

This tender carol sets an affecting text by Christina Rossetti that tells the story of Jesus's birth. In classic McDowall style, the setting explores a variety of choral textures and is interspersed w...

Through luminous choral harmonies, images of a winter night, and echoes of scripture, Advent Moon evokes deep human longing and the promise of the coming of light. The delicate organ accompaniment and...

This engaging carol cantata combines several popular carols to create a performance full of Christmas spirit. Through creative re-harmonization, rhythmic variation, and imaginative linking passages, M...

Written for the 2018 BBC Advent broadcast from St John's College, Cambridge, A Prayer to St John the Baptist sets an artfully crafted text that combines Guido d'Arezzo's Ut queant laxis (itself a Hymn...

Written for the 2018 BBC Advent broadcast from St John's College, Cambridge, A Prayer to St John the Baptist sets an artfully crafted text that combines Guido d'Arezzo's Ut queant laxis (itself a Hymn...

This setting of the evocative poem by Chesterton is atmospheric and powerful. Showcasing McDowall's distinctive style, its minor tonality, subtle chromaticisms, and whole-tone scales portray the contr...