Compositeur: McDowall, Cecilia (n. 1951)

Born in London, England, in 1951 Cecilia McDowall has been described by the International Record Review as having ‘a communicative gift that is very rare in modern music’. Often inspired by extra-musical influences, her writing combines a rhythmic vitality with expressive lyricism and is, at times, intensely moving. She has won many awards and her works have been broadcast on BBC Radio and worldwide. She was short-listed for the 2005 British Composer Awards in two categories and short-listed again for the 2008 British Composer Awards. She has been represented at major festivals both in Britain and abroad and much of her work is on disc. A new choral disc, featuring the City of Canterbury Chamber Choir and soprano, Rachel Nicholls, was released on the Dutton Epoch label in 2009. The American choir, Phoenix Chorale, have recorded her Three Latin motets on Chandos (Spotless Rose) which won a Grammy award in 2009; they were also nominated for Best Classical Album.