OUP Women Composers Orchestral, Opera, Chamber, Instrumental and Choral Catalogue

Cecilia McDowall

Cecilia McDowall Everyday Wonders: The Girl from Aleppo SSAA or upper voices and SATB, solo violin, and piano Upper voices and SATB vocal score 9780193522589 SSAA vocal score 9780193533868 Violin part 9780193524842 Everyday Wonders: The Girl from Aleppo 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 sections, body percussion, and a solo violin part infused with Middle Eastern flavours. The prevailing mood of Nujeen’s story is embodied by the final line of a chorale that bookends this unique concert work: ‘singing the song of life itself.’ 18 minutes A Fancy of Folksongs SATB and harp or piano Vocal score 9780193368767 Harp part 9780193368750 Hire vocal scores 9780193376779 Harp part on hire 9780193376762 This delightful work brings together arrangements of four well-loved folksongs: ‘Green Bushes’, ‘The Rambling Sailor’, ‘The Crystal Spring’, and ‘O, No John!’. A joyful celebration of youthful love and courtship, it bears all the hallmarks of McDowall’s appealing and popular style: rhythmic vitality, occasional astringent harmonies, and strong melodies, creating a distinctive and fresh sound. 11 minutes Night Flight SSATB and cello Vocal score 9780193408227 Cello part 9780193408210 Night Flight was written to mark the centenary of Harriet Quimby’s pioneering flight across the English channel. Setting texts by Sheila Bryer on the powers of the sea, earth, and air, McDowall uses vocal clusters and haunting solo cello lines to highlight the sense of fear, awe, and majesty experienced by an individual pitted against the elements. 13 minutes Choral Works Secular Shipping Forecast SSATB and piano or string orchestra Vocal score 9780193379725 Hire conductor’s score and parts 9780193386877 Shipping Forecast is in three movements: ‘Donegal’, ‘They that go down to the sea in ships’, and ‘Naming’. The first and last movements are settings of poems by the poet, broadcaster, and academic, Seán Street. In ‘Donegal’, snatches of the shipping forecast are woven into the atmospheric texture of the poem. The second movement is a setting of the Psalm 107: 23-26 | 28-29. Energetic, in perpetual motion, and rhythmic, ‘Naming’ drives the whole work to an upbeat finish. 13 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 When time is broke Three Shakespeare Songs 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 52

Choral Leaflets/Octavos Secular As Each Leaf Dances Soprano solo, SSATB, and organ Vocal score 9780193517868 As Each Leaf Dances is a setting of a powerful text by Kevin Crossley-Holland about the cruelty of child abuse being overcome by love and kindness. Reflecting this, the first section features a relentless organ part, jagged vocal lines, and dissonant harmonies, before giving way to a jaunty, dancing, and uplifting second section. 6 minutes Be not afeard SSATB unaccompanied Vocal score 9780193525627 Digital 9780193538665 An atmospheric and expressive setting of Caliban’s dream from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, this piece transports the listener to a mysterious, dream-like place. McDowall effectively employs melismas and ornaments to create a sense of the other-worldly, and her rich, immersive harmonies perfectly characterize the reverie Shakespeare’s protagonist describes. 3 minutes Come Home, Little Sister SSAA and piano Vocal score 9780193518216 Digital 9780193537453 This delicate, spring-like poem, by poet Kevin Crossley- Holland, is an affectionate salutation to a newborn babe. The poet tells that the parents couldn’t decide on a name for their baby, and that instead of imposing an inappropriate name on her, they will welcome her into the garden of the world and wait for her to ‘declare’ herself. After a hushed introduction of whispered welcomes, the voices burst into a dance-like song in celebration of the new arrival’s homecoming. 5.5 minutes Drink the Sky SA, piano, and percussion Vocal score 9780193393516 Digital 9780193536135 This is an uplifting and expressive setting of a fun, descriptive text by Christie Dickason that characterizes the sky in an imaginative way. The compelling melodies are underpinned by a dynamic piano part, often featuring rippling quavers, and characterful interjections from the glockenspiel and suspended cymbal complement the narrative. 4.5 minutes Joy and Woe are woven fine SSATB unaccompanied Vocal score 9780193385504 This poignant anthem, with text by William Blake, was originally composed to be sung at a funeral. It is a beautifully composed work, sufficiently sombre for such an occasion, but with a celebratory element which is uplifting and comforting. 2.5 minutes Love’s Philosophy SSATB unaccompanied Vocal score 9780193407855 Setting a well-known poem by Percy Shelley, Love’s Philosophy is a sweet and tender choral song reflecting on the idea of love with reference to nature and the interdependent relationships evident in the world around us. Mellifluous choral writing and sighing ‘ah’ interjections convey the sometimes wistful feel of Shelley’s words, and numerous repetitions of ‘thou’ at the end of the piece emphasize the theme of unrequited or lost love. Cecilia McDowall 53