Commissioned by Roderick Williams, this characterful trilogy of songs sets poems by John Greening that present a vibrant, modern take on Schubert's song cycles. The first draws on 'Gute nacht' from Der Winterreise, taking inspiration from Captain Scott's perilous expedition to the Antarctic in 1911-12. The second, 'After Standchen', has an air of darkness and mystery, with icy clusters and ghostly spread chords. The text of the third song alludes to Schubert's 'Mein' from Die schoene Mullerin, and the musical setting is characterized by rapid semiquaver figuration in the piano and a vocal...

for SSATB unaccompanied 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 Sean Street. The poem describes the call for assistance made by the occupied Channel Islands in 1944 and the response of the Red Cross ship, the Vega, which came to their aid, drawing parallels between this story and the light and hope of the seasons of Christmas and Epiphany. The bleak wartime conditions are portrayed by dissonant harmony and downward sliding phrases, and extracts from the Bailiff...

for SSAA, solo violin, and piano Everyday Wonders: The Girl from Aleppo, here re-scored for upper voices, tells the extraordinary story of Nujeen Mustafa, a Kurdish teenager with cerebral palsy forced by war to flee her home and embark on an arduous journey to Europe with her sister. In this five-movement cantata Nujeen's story - recounted in her biography 'The Girl from Aleppo' (co-authored by Christina Lamb) - is retold by Kevin Crossley-Holland and richly scored by Cecilia McDowall. A wealth of musical effects are employed to capture the narrative, including chorales, rhythmic spoken...

for SSATB unaccompanied. Composed for International Women's Day, this mesmerising piece celebrates the centennary of Rosalind Franklin and sets her own words with additional text by the poet Sean Street. McDowall's tribute to this underappreciated chemist and crystallographer combines intricate, intertwining melodies with ethereal harmonies beautifully capturing Franklin's part in the discovery of the double helix structure.

This inventive work, composed in 2019, owes its title to that year's two great anniversaries connected to manned flight: the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing and the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci. A wide range of highly effective textures and atmospheric harmonies draws the player and the listener through a journey that eventually reaches D major for the gloriously affirmative ending.

for SSAATTBB unaccompanied Commissioned by Sonoro for the second instalment of their Choral Inspirations project, McDowall has composed Crucifixus Reimagined as a response to Lotti's Crucifixus from Credo in F. Use of suspensions, decorated melodies, and counterpoint feel reminiscent of Lotti's original work, while retaining McDowall's distinctive contemporary style.

for SSATB unaccompanied On the Air (Dear Vaccine) discusses the optimism for a post-COVID world and, particularly, the desire to sing together again. For the text, poet Sean Street drew inspiration from 'Dear Vaccine', which is a global community poetry project in which people are invited to share their thoughts and hopes for the development of COVID-19 vaccines. McDowall has emulated the hopefulness of the text through the energy of the music and the use of both speaking and singing voices.

for SATB, unison voices, and organ This celebratory anthem sets Psalm 100 'O be joyful in the Lord' from the Book of Common Prayer and uses organ flourishes, dancing vocal melodies, and lively articulation to emphasize the exultant message of the text. Jubilate Deo was commissioned by Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Dallas, Texas and was premiered at Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee concert in 2022.

for organ The initial marking 'Sparkling' is a good description of this piece's effervescent Toccata-like figurations and striking harmonies. The plainsong theme appears in longer note values either in the pedal or at the top of the texture. Imaginative use of the organ creates an exciting atmosphere as the piece reaches a powerful conclusion.