Cecilia McDowell: Da Vinci Requiem, Seventy Degrees Below Zero
4/7/2023, 10 Tracks, 56:56
Featuring
Neil Ferris
Kate Royal
Roderick Williams
Benjamin Hulett
City of London Sinfonia
Wimbledon Choral
Cecilia McDowall
Did you know?
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Composer's Artistic Vision
The composer Cecilia McDowall asked poet Seán Street to write two poems for Seventy Degrees Below Zero to connect Robert Falcon Scott's historical words with contemporary perspectives.
Composition History
Seventy Degrees Below Zero was commissioned by the Scott Polar Research Institute and the City of London Sinfonia as part of the Scott 100 Festival of Events in 2012.
Performer Biography
Roderick Williams, the baritone soloist, is also a composer whose works have been premiered at notable venues and he won the prize for best choral composition at the British Composer Awards in 2016.
Composer Biography
Cecilia McDowall, the composer, was presented with the prestigious Ivor Novello Award in 2020 for a 'consistently excellent body of work'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
For the Da Vinci Requiem, composer Cecilia McDowall explored connections between Leonardo da Vinci's philosophical writings and the traditional Mass for the Dead.
Composition History
The Da Vinci Requiem was commissioned by Wimbledon Choral to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's death.
Performer Biography
Wimbledon Choral, one of the performing groups, is over 100 years old, with roots dating back to 1870, and is known as a leading amateur symphonic choir in south-east England.
