Setting part of a Eucharistic hymn text by Thomas Aquinas, this piece is suitable for liturgical or concert use. Flowing and expressive, it features homophonic sections, melismatic lines, and optional soaring soprano solos. Adoro te devote is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Nepalese Earthquake in 2015.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Through luminous choral harmonies, images of a winter night, and echoes of scripture, Advent Moon evokes deep human longing as well as the promise of the coming of light. The delicate organ accompaniment and optional handbells underscore both the haunting opening and the radiant conclusion of this piece.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

A beautiful 6-part unaccompanied Marian motet written for the Marian Consort. The work combines reminiscences of Renaissance settings of this text with McDowall's distinctive contemporary voice.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

This richly scored tapestry of instantly recognizable American folk songs is set in overture style, with the tunes featured both separately and together in clever counterpoint. A wide range of emotions and styles can be found throughout, from a rollicking rendition of "Cindy" to a gorgeous setting of "Shenandoah." The Concert Band accompaniment is easily playable by middle school, high school, or community ensembles.

Arranger: Douglas Wagner

Annunciation is an expressive and expansive Advent carol based on words from John Donne's Holy Sonnets. McDowall creates a captivating atmosphere as the voices explore a soundworld that is mystical, reflective, and bright. The sensitive part-writing and accessible vocal lines will enable choirs of all types to profess the carol's message of 'salvation to all'.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

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.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Commissioned and first performed by the choir of Liverpool Cathedral, this anthem is ideal for use during the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. The choral lines move between sonorous homophonic writing and vibrant imitative passages, and are underpinned by a repeated quaver motif in the organ. Combining a sense of joy with moments of reflection, this anthem will particularly appeal to choirs looking to expand their choral repertoire.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Ave Maria was joint winner of the Concours Europ'een pour Choeurs et Ma^itres de Cath'edrales 1999. Its double choir forces belie its sensitive scoring and taut motivic construction, which is well within the grasp of many choirs.

Composer: Tarik O'Regan

No. 1 of McDowall's 'Three Latin Motets', Ave Regina is a gentle and lyrical setting of the text 'Hail, Queen of the Heavens'. The calm and memorable opening phrase is hinted at in passages of more intensity, and its partial statement at the end leaves it lingering after the voices have faded away. Ave Regina has been recorded by the renowned American choir, the Phoenix Chorale, and released on a Grammy award-winning CD by Chandos (Spotless Rose CHSA 5066)).

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

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 with unexpected harmonies, creating a range of musical colours. The organ part provides a gentle, supportive accompaniment.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

McDowall's Candlemas is a celebratory and powerful piece. Making use of choral divisions and suspensions and a dynamic organ part, this setting of Denise Levertov's text (on the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple) is reverent, yet joyous, and is ideal for a liturgical setting.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Setting a secular text by the sixteenth-century poet John Fletcher, this rich, sonorous piece bursts with invention and word-painting like a large-scale madrigal. The piece works equally well with or without organ accompaniment.

Composer: Tarik O'Regan

The hymn Come, Holy Ghost lies at the heart of Celestial Fire. Here, McDowall has woven the exquisite poetry of Denise Levertov into this expressive and uplifting piece. At times quietly meditative, Celestial Fire unfolds to a most joyous, affirmative conclusion. Celestial Fire was commissioned as part of a trilogy suitable for significant occasions during the church calendar year by Oakham School; the two other Oakham anthems for organ and mixed chorus are Light Eternal and Candlemas.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Ideal for introducing part singing, this lovely partner song features a traditional Japanese text paired with an English translation in a setting perfect for spring concerts. This hauntingly beautiful song will serve as a fantastic festival piece while enhancing your multicultural curriculum. Optional parts for finger cymbals and chime tree enhance the texture, and a pronunciation guide is included.

Composer: Mary Donnelly

Many people will be familiar with the beautiful music of Hildegard von Bingen. Here O'Regan has woven a mesmerising and inventive homage to Bingen's twelfth-century sequence. A fantastic showcase for any confident upper-voice group.

Arranger: Tarik O'Regan | Composer: Hildegard von Bingen

First performed by the choirs of St Paul's, Westminster Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey, this anthem sets a medieval English poem to contemplative music with all the hallmarks of McDowall's style: expressive melismas, well-placed astringent harmonies, and a strong modal feel. Ideal for cathedral and other church choirs. Pronunciation guide and modern rendition of the text included.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

With a newly written text by Angier Brock, this compelling anthem by Cecilia McDowall is a welcome addition to the traditional Easter repertoire. Easter Light explores a variety of styles and colours, from organ solos suggestive of the song of the Eastern meadowlark to a meditative section in the manner of plainchant.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

for SATB and organ, with optional congregation
Commissioned for the American Guild of Organists 2014 National Convention in Boston, Mass., Eternal Ruler of the ceaseless round is a joyful and exuberant setting of the well-known hymn by John Chadwick. It begins with a rich organ introduction before the choir (and congregation) join in with a unison presentation of the melody. The second section explores the Lydian mode, with its rising fourth, while the adamantine final verse brings the anthem to a resolute close that reflects the text's profound depiction of unity and human understanding.

Composer: Libby Larsen

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 celebratory mood, making the piece an ideal conclusion for any Christmas service.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Commissioned by Ralph Woodward and the Fairhaven Singers in memory of Dora Kemp, one of the choir's sopranos, God is Light sets lines from Psalm 139, 1 Thessalonians, and 1 John. It moves from an unsettled tonality at the beginning, through anguished false relations and wistful expressivity, to find triumphant resolution in a blazing A major at the end. Like all of McDowall's music, it is well crafted and singable.
God is Light was first performed on 12 November 2016 in Queens' College Chapel, Cambridge, by the Fairheaven Singers and Perse Prep Senior Choir (director Paul Harris), conducted by Ralph Woodward.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Written in 2000, this piece was joint winner of the New College Oxford Millennium Competition. It is a complex and technically brilliant composition and has been deservedly broadcast several times on BBC Radio 3.

Composer: Tarik O'Regan

In his setting of the ancient Japanese text about the sunlight that fills the sky with the return of spring, Victor Johnson has captured its mystery through haunting melodies and simple harmonies. The added instrumentation offers color and texture as well as framing the English-language middle section. A pronunciation guide is included.

Arranger: Victor C. Johnson

This attractive motet was written for performance alongside Brahms's Requiem, following the precedent of Handel's famous setting of the same text being sung at the premiere of the Brahms in 1868. The gracefully sculpted music clothes the text with touching melodies, expressive harmonies and varied sonorities.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

I Saw Him Standing sets a text by Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who was inspired by the poetry of Ann Griffiths. The poem is full of rich imagery, prompting a correspondingly imaginative musical treatment from O'Regan. Challenging but approachable piece.

Composer: Tarik O'Regan

This gentle setting of a traditional Japanese poem captures the mystery of ancient Japan, with its haunting melody and simple harmonies. The Japanese text alternating with the English translation is easy to learn and evokes images of ages past. Included are both a pronunciation and translation guide. The finger cymbals compliment the distinctly Asian flavor of this piece, featuring open fourths and fifths.

Arranger: Ruth Morris Gray

This poignant anthem 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.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

This expressive Wedding anthem sets an extract from William Blake's Auguries of Innocence. With chromatic inflections and gently arching vocal lines, the music perfectly reflects the text's emphasis on the relationship between pleasure and sorrow. Joy and Woe are woven fine will make a striking addition to the repertory of more experienced choirs looking to try something new.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

'Locus iste' has become a popular text for church dedication services. This simple and beautiful linear setting by O'Regan provides a stylish alternative to other, over-familiar settings.

Composer: Tarik O'Regan

Linda's poignant original text is a tender tribute to the sky and all its beauty-the home to galaxies, planets, the moon, clouds, and the sun. This gentle and sensitive offering, based on two Irish folk songs and set in minor mode, offers ample unison singing, making it accessible to a wide span of treble choirs.

Arranger: Linda Spevacek

Love Incorruptible sets words from Ephesians that explore the themes of love and kindness. The anthem begins with the directive 'Let all bitterness and wrath and anger be put away, awake!', set by the composer in a way that engenders a mood of reflection and hopefulness. The tender central section is built around the words 'Be kind, tender-hearted, one to another', while the closing section presents a compelling contrast of emphatic 'awake!' declarations in the upper voices and punchily rhythmic repetitions of the titular words in the lower voices.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

This concise Latin mass setting is entirely suitable for liturgical use, but the sharply delineated characters of the different movements make it also an appealing concert work. The organ part is supportive, but full of interest and not merely accompanimental. Particularly memorable are the jaunty Gloria, with its constantly shifting time-signatures, and the haunting Agnus Dei.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

This gentle setting of a Japanese text captures the mystery and flavor of ancient Japan and frames the middle section, which is in English. Haunting melodies and simple harmonies are complemented by the addition of optional chime tree and rain stick for a distinctly Asian mood. A pronunciation and translation guide is included.

Arranger: Victor C. Johnson

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 mysterious 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. Cecilia McDowall was awarded the 2014 British Composer Award in the Choral category for Night Flight.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Setting a fifteenth-century English text containing some short Latin passages, this is a joyful, dance-like carol with a medieval feel. The spirited, lilting melody begins in the sopranos and altos but is passed round the choir, while the other voices add stirring harmonies and bell-like drones to the texture. Now may we singen was originally published in the New Horizons collection The Ivy and the Holly.

Composer: 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 reminiscent of the biblical Morning Star referenced in the title. The focus on human enlightenment in winter's darkness means the piece is equally suitable for secular celebrations of Christmas. It was commissioned for the Choir of Merton College, Oxford, and in 2013 was shortlisted for a British Composer Award.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

This hymn to the 'Queen of the Heavens' is a glorious work, replete with dramatic changes of mood and texture. The majestic chords of the opening bars quickly give way to a spirited section in which unison altos and basses mimic the insistent flourishes of the sopranos and tenors. This pattern of contrasts is repeated throughout the piece before the final jubilant chords fade away to a modest triple piano. This is an approachable and rewarding motet, appropriate for the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary in addition to Eastertide.
Regina caeli has been recorded by the renowned American choir, the Phoenix Chorale, and released on a Grammy award-winning CD by Chandos (Spotless Rose CHSA 5066)

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

This gorgeous setting of an ancient Chinese tune is tender in nature, possessing haunting melodies. It evokes a light, delicate style and a peaceful, serene mood, making it an ideal multicultural programming contrast.

Arranger: Linda Spevacek

The gentle, pentatonic melody of this popular Japanese song is supported by a Koto-like keyboard accompaniment, flute, and finger cymbals, which add a wonderful dimension of color. Most every Japanese child is familiar with this tune, which is an ode to the cherry blossom, Japan's national flower. A splendid addition to multicultural repertoire!

Arranger: Douglas Wagner

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, the centenary of whose death falls on 2015. This beautiful work, with its lustrous harmonies and its poignant tenor solo, offers choirs an immensely rewarding experience.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

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. Standing as I do before God is featured on the CD A Multitude of Voices by the choir Sospiri on Convivium Records.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Poignant, emotional, expressive-all describe this exceptional setting of the beloved Welsh tune. Interesting harmonies, opportunities for solos, and a marvelous accompaniment grace this gentle, moving work. Linda is well known for her stunning folk-song arrangements and this is no exception.

Arranger: Linda Spevacek

This engagingly written piece sets the Lamentations of Jeremiah. The overlapping passages of music passed between the soloists and the choir create a dramatic effect, whilst the harmonic language gives the music a sense of regret.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

This joyous, upbeat anthem sets a compelling poem by contemporary poet Se'an Street in response to a text by sixteenth-century Bishop of Norwich John Parkhurst on the subject of 'alma mater'. The text encourages us to appreciate the past, our education, and where it can lead, reflecting on the profound ties we can form to a time or a place. The bright, driving organ part, with solo interjections, is juxtaposed with sustained vocal writing with rich, lush harmonies.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Written for the Choir of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh, The Presence sets lines from Psalms 18, 27, 36, 112, and 119. It was inspired by A. E. Borthwick's painting of the same title, which hangs in St Mary's, and the texts chosen are mainly concerned with light. The performance directions used - 'luminous', 'resonant', 'dark', 'ethereal' - express the setting's intense atmosphere and almost visual sense of space and lustre. While suitable for services and concerts throughout the year, The Presence is especially appropriate for performance during Advent.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Three short lullabies: Ili, Ili, Tulog Anay (Sleep, Little One) from the Philippines; E Hii Lei E (I Hold Thee, My Baby) from Hawaii; and Taoto Bebe (Sleep Baby) from Tahiti, have been tastefully arranged and are appropriate for a broad spectrum of treble groups. A splendid addition to multicultural repertoire. Also available: SSA.

Arranger: Linda Spevacek

Three short lullabies: Ili, Ili, Tulog Anay (Sleep, Little One) from the Philippines; E Hii Lei E (I Hold Thee, My Baby) from Hawaii; and Taoto Bebe (Sleep Baby) from Tahiti, have been tastefully arranged and are appropriate for a broad spectrum of treble groups. A splendid addition to multicultural repertoire. Also available: Unison/Two-part (15/1550H).

Arranger: Linda Spevacek

Wow your audiences with these three short songs about wind, rain, and fire, written in contrasting styles and with optional English lyrics. Each piece is artfully crafted and infused with vivid imagery, making this a fabulous creative programming choice. A pronunciation guide for the Spanish lyrics is included.

Arranger: Victor C. Johnson

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.<

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

Cecilia McDowall's fresh and appealing style is amply displayed in this cycle, subtitled 'Three Shakespeare Songs' and first performed by the BBC Singers. 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.
Also available for SSAA.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall

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. Also available for SSATB.

Composer: Cecilia McDowall