Choral
Choral Octavo Secular Choral Octavo Sacred Choral Octavo Christmas Choral Works Secular Choral Works Sacred Choral Works Christmas Cecilia McDowall Some corner of a foreign field Tenor solo, SATB (with divisions), strings, and harp Vocal score 9780193404540 Hire conductor’s score and parts 9780193404526 Hire vocal material 9780193411517 Written as part of McDowall’s tenure as composer in residence at Dulwich College, Some corner of a foreign field was commissioned to mark the centenary of the First World War. A profoundly moving cantata, it draws on biblical texts associated with the acclaimed pupil of Dulwich College, Sir Ernest Shackleton, his 1916 Antarctic Expedition, and Rupert Brooke. This beautiful work, with its lustrous harmonies and its poignant tenor solo, offers choirs an immensely rewarding experience. 18 minutes Stabat Mater Baritone solo, SATB, children’s choir or semi-chorus, and small orchestra or keyboard fl, cl, bn, 2 hn, hp, str Vocal score 9780193400498 Hire conductor’s score and parts 9780193401501 Hire vocal scores 9780193401518 McDowall’s setting of the Stabat Mater comprises seven movements in a symmetrical structure. A plaintive meditation on the sorrows of the Virgin Mary as she stands by the Cross, McDowall’s Stabat Mater is a sophisticated modern alternative to more well-known settings. 30 minutes A Time for all Seasons Soprano solo, upper voices, SSATB, piano, and opt. percussion Vocal score 9780193411487 An evocative cantata that explores the complexities of the human condition. The well-known ‘To every thing there is a season’ text from Ecclesiastes is interwoven with a modernday reworking of verses by poet Kevin Crossley-Holland. McDowall’s impressive range of musical styles, effective antiphonal writing, and juxtaposition of textures create a meaningful experience for the listener. The part for upper voices may also be sung by a children’s choir. 18 minutes Vita Mundo SATB and organ Vocal score 9780193402850 A setting of Psalm 127 (Unless the Lord builds the house), this compelling anthem possesses a luminescent quality supported by radiant harmonic textures. It is framed by Latin text taken from the Saxon stone cross at St Paul’s, Jarrow, associated with St Bede, and set in quasi-plainchant fashion. Psalm 127 is one of the Psalms of Ascent, often occurring throughout the liturgical calendar. With an elegant simplicity, Vita Mundo is uplifting and rewarding to sing. 5 minutes When time is broke Three Shakespeare Songs A Winter’s Night SATB, brass quintet, organ, and percussion Vocal score 9780193403680 Hire conductor’s score and parts 9780193403697 Hire vocal scores 9780193411647 This engaging fifteen-minute cantata combines several popular carols to create a performance full of Christmas spirit. Through creative re-harmonization, rhythmic variation, and imaginative linking passages, McDowall creates a joyful atmosphere, with both familiar and surprising material. 15 minutes Would Like To Meet SSA and piano Vocal score 9780193402607 Digital 9780193535947 Would Like To Meet is taken from a suite of three pieces by Cecilia McDowall called Lonely Hearts, composed in 2005. The whimsical text by Christie Dickason is a lonely hearts column written from the perspective of various animals and plants, and this imaginative theme is perfectly complemented by McDowall’s spirited and fun setting. The mood is light and energetic, the piano part characterful, and the accessible and appealing vocal lines feature interspersions of scat writing. 2.5 minutes Cecilia McDowall Standing as I do before God Soprano solo and SATB unaccompanied Vocal score 9780193407626 Setting a text spoken by Nurse Edith Cavell on the eve of her execution in 1915 and re-fashioned by the poet Seán Street, McDowall has created a work of haunting beauty full of gently lamenting harmonies. The sombre subject matter makes the piece equally suitable for funerals and Remembrance Day celebrations. 7 minutes SSAA or SSATB unaccompanied SSAA vocal score 9780193413740 SSATB vocal score 9780193408241 Cecilia McDowall’s fresh and appealing style is amply displayed in this cycle, subtitled ‘Three Shakespeare Songs’. In total, six Shakespeare texts are used, and McDowall’s response encompasses a fleet-footed impression of Scottish fiddle music, a gorgeously plangent slow movement, and a helter-skelter finale that broadens to a mysteriously pitchless ending. 11 minutes 30 31
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