 Born in 1951, Cecilia McDowall was educated at Edinburgh and London Universities later continuing her studies at Trinity College of Music. The winner of several major composition awards, she has a distinctive style which speaks directly to listeners, instrumentalists and singers alike. Her output has been described as having a 'freshness, brightness and fidelity' about it, combining flowing melodic lines and occasionally astringent harmony with rhythmic vitality.
Her music has been commissioned and performed by leading choirs, including the BBC Singers, ensembles and at festivals nationwide. She was short-listed for the 2005 British Composer Awards in two categories, the Liturgical section and the Making Music Award. Dutton Epoch released a CD of her choral work in the autumn of 2004 (CDLX 7146) and a CD of orchestral and chamber music in autumn 2005 (CDLX 7159). Three Antiphons have been recorded by an international trumpet ensemble consisting of players from the Berlin Philharmonic and Vienna Philharmonic and were released on the Brass Classics label recently. Works for flute and piano duo and wind ensemble have been recorded by Ensemble Lumiere on the Deux-Elles label (DXL1033) (Piper's Dream, 2002) and include the specially commissioned Arctic Circle (for wind quintet and piano).
A recent commission, Five Seasons, for which she was selected from a large list of composers by the Bournemouth Sinfonietta Choir, was for a choral and instrumental work, receiving its first performance in Sherborne Abbey. This exciting and unique project involved the composer, Cecilia McDowall, and the novelist and poet, Christie Dickason, taking up mini residences at five organic farms (under the auspices of the Soil Association). The brief for the commission was to 'celebrate the organic landscape'.
Commissions for spring 2008 included; Laudate (St Albans Choral Society) performed at St Albans Abbey, conductor George Vass; Rise heart, thy Lord is risen (Cantate, conductor Andrew Cleary) at Portsmouth Cathedral; Cavatina at Midnight (commissioned by the CAVATINA Chamber Music Trust) at the Hampstead and Highgate Festival, performed by Catriona Scott (clarinet) Gemma Rosefield (cello) Michael Dussek (piano), The Skies in their Magnificence for the English Music Festival (London Chorus, conductor Ron Corp) and Towards the Morning for Berkhamsted Collegiate School (Berkhamsted Choir, conductor Peter Hopkins).
The Dutton label recorded a further CD (CDLX 7197) of McDowall's choral work in 2007 with the City of Canterbury Chamber Choir and the Joyful Company of Singers.
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