# William Byrd



## Trout

*William Byrd*









Another Renaissance composer who is shockingly missing a thread (not counting this). He is considered one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance alongside Palestrina, Josquin, and Lassus and one of England's greatest composers. And while he's not my favorite renaissance composer, I really like his _Mass for 5 Voices_, _Mass for 4 Voices_, and what I have heard from the _My Ladye Nevells Booke_. Here is a sampling of some of his works for those that are unfamiliar.

The Battell
Infelix Ego
Mass for 5 Voices
Mass for 4 Voices
O Magnum Mysterium
Ave Verum Corpus
Domine Secundum Actum Meum

So what do you think of this composer or any piece(s) in particular? Please do share! 
And for more in-depth information regarding Byrd, see here.


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## violadude

Thanks for another great early music find, Trout. I listened to all the excerpts and liked all of them except for the first one. I'm not too fond of the sound of the harpsichord/clavichord. I think my favorites were the Mass for 5 voices and Domine Secundum actum meum. 

However, his choral compositions didn't immediately strike me with the same sense of beauty that Josquin's did. I would have to listen to both of them a lot back and forth to know exactly why. So at the moment I liked the former composer a little better.


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## HarpsichordConcerto

Byrd wrote beautiful, subtle music. I recently bought his complete harpsichord music (Hyperion), cheapy box-set deal. Very calm sounding music to listen to. Highly recommended. *Note* that Hyperion previously released the same box-set with the same cover as pictured below but at premium price, but has recently re-released it again at budget price. The budget price set I bought has a catalogue number *CDS44461/7*.


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## Trout

violadude said:


> Thanks for another great early music find, Trout. I listened to all the excerpts and liked all of them except for the first one. I'm not too fond of the sound of the harpsichord/clavichord. I think my favorites were the Mass for 5 voices and Domine Secundum actum meum.
> 
> However, his choral compositions didn't immediately strike me with the same sense of beauty that Josquin's did. I would have to listen to both of them a lot back and forth to know exactly why. So at the moment I liked the former composer a little better.


Thank you for listening, again.

Yes, the harpsichord can be a bit grating on the ears especially when played as forcefully as in the video. I, too, find Josquin's choral music to be more evocative and beautiful than Byrd's. Just something about Josquin's music speaks directly to my soul (cliche, I know). There is still one more significant renaissance composer that deserves his own thread which I hope to create soon.


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## GoneBaroque

I am quite fond of Byrd both his choral and his keyboard works. As one who is a fan of the harpsichord I do not notice the grating quality you speak of, try playing the recording at a lower volume, it may help.

Byrd has an interesting history. He was a Roman Catholic in England at a time when that practice was against the law. So he composed music for both the Roman and Anglican communions. Talk about walking a tightrope.

B all means look further into his work, you could find it most rewarding.


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## Manxfeeder

There's something admirable about his continuing to write Catholic music after it was illegal and is a tribute to his talent that those in authority looked the other way. 

His Ave Verum is one of my favorite pieces of all time.


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## itywltmt

*Glenn Gould* was a big admirer of Byrd and *Orlando Gibbons* and would routinely program them along with Bach/Beethoven and the Second Viennese School composers in a typical concert - back when he performed concerts, that is...


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## humanbean

Lately I've been listening to Vol. 4 of Cardinall Musick's Byrd Edition. Their performances of Byrd's choral works are quite amazing. This is currently my favorite; the harmony of the opening sequence is enough to make your hairs stand on end.


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## Hermanberntzen

Im quite confused about William Byrds music.
Did he write the pieces that are listed in "My Ladye Nevells Booke"? 
Are they all Variations on others work, or are all the pieces just copied right from another composers scores and then William Byrd claims the piece under hes name?


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## Trout

I'm pretty sure that they are all original works by William Byrd.


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## Cnote11

They are definitely original works by William Byrd.


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## science

Later, this thread can be merged: http://www.talkclassical.com/18864-william-byrd.html


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## neoshredder

Great composer. Listening to him now. Reminds me of Corelli but less predictable.


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## zhen

Later, this thread can be merged: William Byrd


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## Trout

I'm not sure why the two threads were merged considering that the more recent one's OP only had one specific question regarding one of his works and I think the merge also took the original thread out of the guestbook section. Can someone move this thread back to its appropriate section (the Guestbook)?

Thanks.


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## Cnote11

Can I just say that I personally cannot understand why one would not love the majestic beauty of the harpsichord, especially when played forcefully! One of my favorite sounds, personally. William Byrd is a fantastic composer with whom I always feel the need to get more acquainted with. I'm most familiar with his vocal works. I want to pick up more albums based around his keyboard works. I'll have to look into the disc that HC posted!


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## Mandryka

Can someone recommend me some Byrd choral music recordings? Which are the most interesting recordings from Cardinall's Musick?


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## Gallus

I usually shy away from the harpsichord but this bloke is an absolutely fantastic keyboard composer! It's amazing the wealth of musical talent England had during its renaissance.


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## regenmusic

Documentary with music: Playing Elizabeth's Tune : William Byrd


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## Larkenfield

For those who don't care for the sound of the harpsichord or clavier, Byrd can sound fine on the modern piano, especially when performed in a thoughtful and relaxed manner. (IMO, one of the best albums Gould ever did). He plays as if the music is being _strummed_ on a guitar or lute... pure genius:


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## Zolaerla

*"Byrd's Tale"*

The game "Bard's Tale" by Interplay from 1985, when released on the Apple IIGS, Amiga and Atari ST in 1987 (later in DOS with much simpler versions of the music) used at least four of William Byrd's songs, without crediting him at all! The songs used are all great songs that I have had imprinted in my mind since playing the game as a child, so finding the originals was a big deal for me. In particular, finding the "Earl of Salisbury" has been wonderful, as I just love this piece of music!

"Seeker's Ballad" ("Waylands Watch" on Apple IIGS) and "Wayland's Watch" ("Badhr Kilnfest" on Apple IIGS) both come from Byrd's "Earl of Salisbury", with the first one using the Pavane and the second using the Galliard.

Here are both in a single video:





Here's someone playing the Pavane quickly on a guitar:





The Pavane is also impressive fully orchestrated:





"Falkentyne's Fury" in the game was actually "John Come Kiss Me Now" variations by William Byrd (the base song is an old folk song, but the extra busy parts are from Byrd's rendition).





And "Lucklaran" in the game was actually Byrd's "The Carman's Whistle" variations, that Byrd again based on another song, this time John Johnson's "Carman's Whistle".

Here's the Byrd variations version:





Here's the John Johnson version (can't post any more videos, darn!):


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## Josquin13

Apart from his masses, my favorite works by William Byrd are his Consort Songs. I am especially moved by the elegiac song, "Ye Sacred Muses", written upon the death of Byrd's teacher, composer Thomas Tallis. The finest recordings I've heard of this elegy have come from the Hilliard Ensemble with London Baroque, Michael Chance with Fretwork, and Gerard Lesne with Ensemble Orlando Gibbons (though Lesne's English is harder to understand):

"Ye sacred Muses, race of Jove,
whom Music's lore delighteth,
Come down from crystal heav'ns above
to earth where sorrow dwelleth,
In mourning weeds, with tears in eyes:
Tallis is dead, and Music dies."


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## jenspen

regenmusic said:


> Documentary with music: Playing Elizabeth's Tune : William Byrd


Thank you! I suppose that somewhere in that long video the Tallis Scholars will have to perform Byrd's Lullaby, as it is recorded to have been a favourite of Queen Elizabeth. As she was dying she asked for "Mr Bird's Lullaby".

For those who haven't got the time to watch the whole video, here are the Tallis Scholars performing the Lullaby:


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## jenspen

Manxfeeder said:


> ....
> 
> His Ave Verum is one of my favorite pieces of all time.


I prefer it to Mozart's - both to listen to and to sing.


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## premont

Josquin13 said:


> Apart from his masses, my favorite works by William Byrd are his Consort Songs. I am especially moved by the elegiac song, "Ye Sacred Muses", written upon the death of Byrd's teacher, composer Thomas Tallis. The finest recordings I've heard of this elegy have come from the Hilliard Ensemble with London Baroque, Michael Chance with Fretwork, and Gerard Lesne with Ensemble Orlando Gibbons (though Lesne's English is harder to understand):
> 
> "Ye sacred Muses, race of Jove,
> whom Music's lore delighteth,
> Come down from crystal heav'ns above
> to earth where sorrow dwelleth,
> In mourning weeds, with tears in eyes:
> Tallis is dead, and Music dies."


This LP was my first encounter with the elegy, beautifully sung by Ian Partridge. The disc also contains an equally beautiful version of "O Lord, How Vain" by Barbara Elsy:

https://www.discogs.com/Purcell-Con...e-S-Preston-Music-Of-The-High/release/6914275


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## Mandryka

In Ye Sacred Muses, Emma Kirkby's tone is fabulous, more expressive for the absense, or quasi-absence, of vibrato. And she has a way with the words, she can make it sound like meaningful poetry.

I've heard Partridge sing it with Fretwork, and I'm quite curious about the earlier recording Premont mentioned. On the Simax recording he also sings O Lord, how Vain.

Let me take the opportunity to commend the Byrd CD from The Rose Consort and Clair Wilkinson.


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## premont

Mandryka said:


> I've heard Partridge sing it with Fretwork, and I'm quite curious about the earlier recording Premont mentioned. On the Simax recording he also sings O Lord, how Vain.


I am very unhappy to disappoint you, but I parted with the LP more than 25 years ago for considerations of space, long time before I got the option to digitize it. But tell me, why could I be that stupid??


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## Mandryka

I'm listening to Hogwood play the Pavans and Galliards in My Lady Nevells Book, what's impressing me most at the moment is the harpsichord performances of the Galliards, and the 9th Pavan


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## Mandryka

I thought I'd check out what Davitt Moroney does with the Pavans and Galliards from My Lady Nevells Booke in this Hyperion set, it's his second recording of the music.

I thought it was a mixed bag, and it's tempting to focus on the downside: the way he sometimes emphasises the pulse in an unsubtle way (eg 1st, 9th pavan); the way he sometimes seems to make the more contrapuntal pieces (like the second pavan) sound more complicated and convoluted than coherent; the way his liking for slow tempos in the pavans make them occasionally seem a bit tired.

In truth there's a lot to enjoy in Moroney's performance of this cycle here, the instruments especially (which are adequately if not spectacularly recorded.) However, speaking personally for a moment, it's nowhere as dear to me as Hogwood on harpsichord (I felt the other day that Hogwood was less in his element on organ, I could be wrong and being unfair, hence my qualification.)


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## Mandryka

By the way, both Moroney in his booklet essay for the first recording he made of Pavans and Galliards, and Oliver Neighbour in his book on Byrd's instrumental music, claim that the Lady Nevell pavans and Galliards are a cycle created by Byrd himself. From Neighbour:



> No feature of My Lady Nevell's Book shows Byrd's guiding hand more than the selection and arrangement of the first nine pavans and galliards (the tenth pair stands apart, having been added as an afterthought the end of the manuscript). The sequence is laid out with the regard for symmetry and variety that he habitually brought to the planning of a set of variations. The first six pavans are each followed by a galliard. Nos. I, 3 and 5 are solemn works in minor modes (cr, ai and c2) with sixteen bars to the strain. Of Nos. 2, 4 and 6, all in the major, 2 and 4 (G2 and Cr) are lighter pieces in 8-bar strains; No. 6 (C2) matches the minor mode pavans in dimensions and weight, and closes the first group. Nos. 7 and 8 (G6 and a4), though also 16-bar pavans, differ in having no galliards. The great _Passing Measures_ pair (g1) crowns the series.


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## Mandryka

The recording by Elizabeth Farr caused a certain amount of consternation when it was released because it uses a style of playing which people sometimes call "digital" (as opposed to chordal.) It involves articulating each voice independently, and hence making music which expresses a rich web of sometimes contrasting emotions, and which manifests complex textures and rhythms. This style of interpretation has recently become slightly more familiar because Wolfgang Rubsam, who produced Elizabeth Farr's CD, uses it in his lautenwerk Bach, Pachelbel and Bohm recordings, and the harpsichord factor Keith Hill (who made two of the instruments Elizabeth Farr uses) has written a paper in its advocacy. One gets the impression that there's an _avant garde_ in baroque and renaissance keyboard playing, with Hill, Rubsam and Farr at the vanguard.

I have to say that I like the digital approach and I find these performances of the Lady Nevells Booke Pavans and Galliards stimulating, especially when she uses lautenwerk. Elizabeth Farr often spreads chords as, I guess, a strategy for avoiding pounding the pulse out. How accurate a method of interpretation this is I cannot say, but I think it is not ineffective. On lute harpsichord -- another beautiful instrument made by Hill -- she sounds every bit like Wolfgang Rubsam _avant la lettre_.

Her notes reveal that she's sensitive to the expressive possibilities of the cycle and my feeling is that what she does, at that level, is exceptional.


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