for SSATB unaccompanied
Make we joy now in this fest is a lively and vibrant setting of a 15th-century macaronic text. An eminently memorable and energetic chorus frames expressive verses that vividly illuminate the medieval words through McDowall's masterful use of modal harmonies. A light, dance-like feel in the chorus, created through detailed articulation and phrasing, contrasts with the more declamatory verses.
for SSATB unaccompanied
Make we joy now in this fest is a lively and vibrant setting of a 15th-century macaronic text. An eminently memorable and energetic chorus frames expressive verses that vividly illuminate the medieval words through McDowall's masterful use of modal harmonies.
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.
