A Song for St Cecilia

for soprano solo, SSATB, two trumpets, and organ The patron saint of music is honoured in Cecilia McDowall's exuberant setting of Kate Wakeling's lyrics based on 'The Life of Saint Cecilia' in Jacobus de Voragine's 1275 The Golden Legend or Lives Of The Saints, translated by William Caxton in 1483. The work's outer sections are fast-paced and lively, with heraldic trumpets, while the reflective central section, for mezzo soprano, is introduced by the timely reminder 'For the hearing of melody is a pricking of the soul, where the clay of the spirit is raised to gold.' The closing section reminds us of the importance of singing, with the words 'She sang in her heart and for this she is now clothed always in arms of light.' This jubilant piece was commissioned by The Bar Choral Society to celebrate its Tenth Anniversary in 2024.