for SATB and organ
Written for the Choir of The Cathedral of St John, Albuquerque, Ash Wednesday sets typically fervent verses by Christina Rossetti. The vocal lines are mostly simple and affecting, with some highly individual harmonies, while the organ part is by turns expressive and showy.
McDowall sets the poem [by Christina Rossetti] in a clear ternary form, with the outer sections establishing a quietly plaintive atmosphere . . . After an expansive exposition, the music shifts dramatically to an up-tempo forte section with agitated, restless organ figuration . . . The work ends quietly with an augmentation of the principal motives in both choir and organ. This haunting work is of only moderate difficulty and would infuse any Ash Wednesday liturgy with intense solemnity that is nonetheless striking in its beauty.
