Cecilia McDowall (b. 1951) has a distinctive style which speaks directly to listeners, instrumentalists and singers alike. Her music has been commissioned and performed by leading choirs, including the BBC Singers, ensembles, and at festivals worldwide. She has won many awards and has been short-listed four times for the British Composer Awards. The Missa Brevis (Tongues of Fire) was commissioned by the Thames Philharmonic Choir, Brian Hill and Kingston Brass in 2000 and then revised version for choir and organ by the LFCCM Choir in 2013, which is the version we perform today.

Grayston Ives (b. 1948), Listen, sweet dove

Grayston ‘Bill’ Ives was director of music at Magdalen College in Oxford, and composed most of his liturgical music for that setting. Listen sweet dove is a beautiful, lilting setting of George Herbert’s poem ‘Whitsunday’.

Judith Weir (b. 1954), I love all beauteous things

Weir is one of Britain’s most important composers and is the first wman to service as Master of the King’s (formerly Queen’s) Music.  This setting of a Robert Bridges poem was commissioned by St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, and first performed at the National Service of Thanksgiving in 2016.  Today’s performance is part of the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music.