Byrd: Haec dies

The Cardinall’s Musick’s award-winning Byrd series reaches its final volume, which includes some of the composer’s most sublime and adventurous music, drawn in the main from the 1591 Cantiones Sacrae collection. Throughout this series it has become evident that a comprehensive survey such as this shows the genius of the composer in a uniquely effective way: by demonstrating the extraordinary variety and unsurpassable quality of his musical and liturgical achievements.

Andrew Carwood defines Byrd as the greatest composer of the age in his booklet note—as he writes: ‘If there is an English musician who comes close to Shakespeare in his consummate artistry, his control over so many genres and his ability to speak with emotional directness it must be William Byrd.’

The ‘title track’ of this volume, Infelix ego, is the crowning glory of Byrd’s achievement as a composer of spiritual words and one of the greatest artistic statements of the sixteenth century. This remarkable text, taking the form of a number of rhetorical statements and questions, shows the whole gamut of emotion from a soul in torment—guilt, fear, embarrassment, anger, but crucially the gift of release when Christ’s mercy is accepted. It can be seen as a microcosm of Byrd’s sacred music and a fitting crown to this series.

Soothing English sacred choral music from the Tudor and Stuart periods, by some of England’s finest composers. Perfect music to calm the soul, performed by the outstanding Richmond Consort. The consort is made up of singers who regularly perform in the UK’s most prestigious cathedrals and colleges. They specialise in early music both sacred and secular and perform regularly throughout the UK and the rest of Europe.

Under the direction of Kerry Beaumont, the choirs at Coventry Cathedral have made several television broadcasts. On this CD they perform a wide-ranging repertoire, including works by Tallis, Byrd, Stanford, Dyson Dove and Beaumont.

The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, directed by Timothy Brown perform Tudor Anthems and Motets by an array of sixteenth century composers including the ever popular Byrd and Tallis and the less familiar figures of Dering, Philips, Mudd and Farrant. Clare College Choir is one of the UK’s finest mixed choirs.

To coincide with the tenth anniversary of the Choral Pilgrimage, Harry Christophers and The Sixteen return to the repertoire of Tudor England that made their first tour such a success.

Sixteenth-century England was a place of much religious change. It was a dangerous and confusing time as Henry VIII, who had split with Rome, was succeeded by his young son Edward VI, then by the ardent Catholic, Mary, and finally by the Protestant, Elizabeth I. Composers of the day, such as William Byrd, John Sheppard and Thomas Tallis, were required to adapt to rapidly changing musical requirements and it is testament to their incredible skill and musical mastery that they produced such magnificent works in such troubled times. At the heart of this programme are Sheppard’s monumental Media vita in morte sumus and Byrd’s deeply personal setting of Infelix ego. Set amongst these exceptional masterpieces are Byrd’s joyful motets Laudibus in sanctis and Haec dies, and one of the gems of this recording – Tallis’ Miserere nostri.

“Christopher’s choir, The Sixteen, is arguably the most visible professional choral ensemble in Britain” The Times (London)