for SSA and piano or organ or chamber orchestra The charming and vibrant original melody of this attractive carol glides above harmonies that are almost entirely diatonic, but whose inventiveness and frequent passing dissonances mean that predictability is never a danger. It maintains the upbeat 6/8 feel of the traditional setting, with a strophic structure, jaunty cross-rhythms, and a catchy modal melody.
Cecilia McDowall has been described by the International Record Review as having a 'communicative gift that is very rare in modern music.' An award-winning composer, McDowall is often inspired by extra-musical influences, and her choral writing combines rhythmic vitality with expressive lyricism. Her music has been commissioned, performed, and recorded by leading choirs, among them the BBC Singers, The Sixteen, and Oxford and Cambridge choirs and is regularly programmed at prestigious festivals in Britain and abroad. In 2017 McDowall was selected for an Honorary Fellow award by the Royal School of Church Music.
