William Byrd

[ardcarp]

I know CotW has already been flagged up under, er, CotW and on the EM forum. I just thought I'd mention that on Wednesday's and Thursday's edition we heard motets sung by The Cardinall's Musick, Stile Antico, Alamire; and the 5-part Mass by Kings College Cambridge under Willcocks. Some very different performance styles, but all very beautiful and I was wowed by all of them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tnxf/episodes/player

[Vox Humana]

I still have to catch up with some of the programmes, but I have very much enjoyed those that I have heard. I don't know who wrote the scripts, but I was amused to note some confusion between two of the programmes as to whether Byrd had been a chorister at St Paul's (quite likely) or the Chapel Royal (not very).

[ardcarp]

I do like this extract from The Old Cheque Book;

1569 Robert Parsons was drowned at Newark upon Trent the 25th of Januarie, and Wm Bird sworn gentleman [of the Chaapel Royal] in his place at the first [?] the 23d of Februarie followinge [..... from] Lincolne.

Incidentally a certain Tho. Bird who had been 'Clarke of the Checke' died in 1561. A family connection maybe? Pure speculation on my part.

[Vox Humana]

The date 1569 is given in both the Cheque Book proper and in the less formal Bodleian Library copy, but it doesn't agree with the regnal year also quoted which translates as 1571/2. The former is wrong; the latter correct: Byrd didn't leave Lincoln until 1572. So poor Parsons drowned in January 1572 new style. Maybe his horse got swept from under him in a winter flood. Who knows? - but we lost a major composer there for sure.

According to Byrd's biographer John Harley, William Byrd's parents were Thomas and Marjory Byrd of London, but the father was not the Thomas Byrd who was Clerk of the Cheque; that Thomas was unrelated to the family.

For up-to-date information on Byrd which is eminently readable and wears its (very considerable) scholarship very lightly, I can strongly recommend this book.

[Pulcinella]

For up-to-date information on Byrd which is eminently readable and wears its (very considerable) scholarship very lightly, I can strongly recommend this book.

Though on balance I enjoyed reading this book, and learned much from it, I found all the speculation rather irritating (and unnecessary).

[ardcarp]

The date 1569 is given in both the Cheque Book proper and in the less formal Bodleian Library copy, but it doesn't agree with the regnal year also quoted which translates as 1571/2. The former is wrong; the latter correct: Byrd didn't leave Lincoln until 1572. So poor Parsons drowned in January 1572 new style. Maybe his horse got swept from under him in a winter flood. Who knows? - but we lost a major composer there for sure.

According to Byrd's biographer John Harley, William Byrd's parents were Thomas and Marjory Byrd of London, but the father was not the Thomas Byrd who was Clerk of the Cheque; that Thomas was unrelated to the family.

For up-to-date information on Byrd which is eminently readable and wears its (very considerable) scholarship very lightly, I can strongly recommend this book.

Thanks as ever for your scholarly corrections, Vox. I will contact the River People at once. BTW, who would have thought Byrd had a mother called Marjory?