McDowall sets the poem [by Christina Rossetti] in a clear ternary form, with the outer sections establishing a quietly plaintive atmosphere . . . After an expansive exposition, the music shifts dramatically to an up-tempo forte section with agitated, restless organ figuration . . . The work ends quietly with an augmentation of the principal motives in both choir and organ. This haunting work is of only moderate difficulty and would infuse any Ash Wednesday
liturgy with intense solemnity that is nonetheless striking in its beauty.
Cecilia McDowall has been described by the International Record Review as having a 'communicative gift that is very rare in modern music. An award-winning composer, McDowall is often inspired by extra-musical influences, and her choral writing combines rhythmic vitality with expressive lyricism. Her music has been commissioned, performed, and recorded by leading choirs, among them the BBC Singers, The Sixteen, and Oxford and Cambridge choirs and is regularly
programmed at prestigious festivals in Britain and abroad. In 2017 McDowall was selected for an Honorary Fellow award by the Royal School of Church Music.
