Some time ago, I enthusiastically
reviewed a disc of wind music by
Cecilia McDowall (Deux-Elles DXL 1033),
which I found direct, well-crafted,
colourful and immensely appealing, while
being clearly from our time. The present
reasonably filled release of recent
choral works, all written over the last
three years or so, confirms my first
impression. In her choral music, McDowall
achieves writing that challenges amateurs
and rewards professional musicians and
audiences as well. Yes, contemporary
music can be attractive, without condescending
or without being written down.
Each of these works
has its own character, so that this
welcome release displays a most refreshing
variety. McDowall’s approach to choral
music is clearly traditional, in that
her music obviously belongs to the best
of the British choral tradition, that
she handles with a most appealing freshness.
Something that can be said about Will
Todd’s choral music, for example.
McDowall’s setting
Ave maris stella is based
on the well-known words - also beautifully
set by the late Grace Williams - and
on Psalms 106 and 26. As with the other
works in this selection, it is scored
for relatively modest forces, in this
case, string orchestra. The setting
is beautifully contrasted alternating
hymn-like and more animated sections
reflecting the words. Finzi is a name
that comes to mind when listening to
this very fine work. Like John Rutter,
McDowall, too, has the knack of writing
tunes at once memorable and grateful
to sing.
Her setting of the
Magnificat, completed in 2003, is rather
more ambitious - it is the longest work
here - and quite substantial. It is
also rather restrained, but eloquent
and deeply felt. It is scored for soprano
and mezzo soloists, chorus and small
orchestra (oboe, cor anglais, bassoon
and strings). A slow introduction leads
into the opening words sung by the chorus.
Each soloist has a movement to herself,
whereas they both join in the fifth
section set as a duet. The chorus has
the last word in the work’s triumphant
close. McDowall’s Magnificat
is a marvellous piece of music that
should be eagerly picked up by good
amateur choral societies.
The Christmas cantata
Christus natus est, originally
scored for brass in 2002 and orchestrated
in 2003, is scored for soprano, children’s
chorus, mixed chorus and small orchestra.
It uses well-known carols presented
in attractively varied settings. The
composer also uses a tune from one of
her Christmas carols as an introduction
and as instrumental links between each
carol setting. After the introduction,
a brilliant setting of Personent
hodie is followed by a beautiful
old French carol Entre le boeuf et
l’âne gris, albeit using a
variant of the tune I used to know.
The joyful Gaudete! has an attractive
archaic ring, and nicely contrasts with
the following lullaby (a traditional
Polish carol) sung by the children’s
voices. The cantata ends with Angelus
ad virginem capped by a brief restatement
of Personent hodie. This is a
little gem and a really delightful work
that deserves to become a Christmas
classic.
This attractive selection
of McDowall’s choral music ends with
another little gem, the choral suite
A Fancy of Folksongs for
soprano, chorus and harp. It opens with
a beautiful setting of Green Bushes
and ends with a jolly setting of O,
no John!. In between come The
rambling sailor as some sort of
swaggering Scherzo and The crystal
spring sung by soprano and women’s
voices. Another modest, but real winner.
McDowall’s happy, unpretentious
but superbly crafted music making is
marvellously served by really fine performances.
This most engaging and rewarding release
should not be missed, for the music
is just too good to be bluntly dismissed.
There is really much to enjoy here.
Maybe, you might already put it on your
shopping list for next Christmas; but,
really, you need not wait that long.
Hubert Culot
Rachel Nicholls (soprano)abcd; Frances
Bourne (mezzo-soprano)b; Sally Price
(harp)d; Canterbury Chamber Choir;
Parmiter’s Senior Singers; Orchestra Novaabc;
George Vass 
