Tag: Early Music
Programme Notes for Byrd Concert
William Byrd – Struggle with the Establishment 400 years ago, the eminent English composer William Byrd died, leaving a legacy of over 470 compositions and a profound impact on the musical landscape of England. On his death the Chapel Royal described him, rather uniquely as a “Father of Musick”. Not much is known about Byrd’s…
Verse Anthem
The Verse Anthem: Virtuosic Verse for Making Means? A study into the Verse Anthem and its place in Society c.1560–1690 According to Charles Butler in The Principles of Musik, the finest anthem was one ‘wherein a sweet melodious treble or countertenor singeth single and a full choir answereth [sic]’. He was referring to the Verse…