William Byrd
(1543 - 1623)
Byrd was the leading English composer of his generation, and together 
with his continental colleagues Giovanni Palestrina (c.1525-1594) 
and Orlando de Lassus (1532-1594), one of the acknowledged great 
masters of the late Renaissance. Byrd is considered by many the 
greatest English composer of any age, and indeed his substantial 
volume of high quality compositions in every genre of the time makes 
it easy to consider him the greatest composer of the Renaissance - 
his versatility and genius outshining those of Palestrina and Lassus 
in a self-evident way. English music of the period was amazingly 
rich, dominating the music of the continent in depth and variety, in 
a way that was not seen before or since. Also, Byrd's pre-eminent 
position at the beginning of music publication in England allowed 
him to leave a substantial printed legacy at the inception of many 
important musical forms. It would be impossible to over-estimate 
his subsequent influence on the music of England, the Low Countries, 
and Germany.

Byrd was probably born in Lincoln where he took up the post of 
organist at an early age. Later he accepted a position in the Royal 
Chapel of Queen Elizabeth, and retired at the age of fifty to a home 
at Stondon Massey near the Essex estate of one of his richest patrons, 
Sir John Petre. Byrd was a Catholic in Protestant England, and though 
this position demanded a certain amount of seclusion and discretion, 
his loyalty to the Crown was never in doubt. Indeed, Byrd continued to 
enjoy the favor of the Queen, as well as continuation of his privilege 
as sole holder of the publishing monopoly which had been awarded 
jointly to Byrd and Thomas Tallis (his teacher) before the latter's 
death. Byrd was able to publish Latin sacred music throughout his 
life, though opportunities for public performance in a liturgical setting 
would not have existed. These pieces were apparently performed in 
private residences, either as Latin songs in a setting similar to that 
of secular music, or at secret Catholic religious services. In either 
case, Byrd's Latin works were well-known during his lifetime, and 
continue to be the most widely performed of his compositions.

Byrd also contributed heavily to the developing genre of the 
English Anthem (including the newer "verse" style with 
organ accompaniment), composing his widely regarded "Great 
Service" in this format. However, it was his Latin music that he 
chose to publish. This was series inaugurated in 1575 with the 
volume of "Cantiones Sacrae," a joint collection with Thomas 
Tallis. Though this publication was not especially successful, 
Byrd followed it up with two more: the "Cantiones Sacrae" of 
1589 & 1591. These "sacred songs" would be called motets 
on the continent, and represent the most significant English 
contribution to the motet repertory. The motets are almost 
exclusively for five-voice vocal ensembles, with the most varied 
counterpoint and text selections. Though these texts are all 
sacred in origin, many of them have political implications, illustrating 
Byrd's fringe position as a Catholic composer. Some of these 
motets are much more popular than others, but all are of uniformly 
high quality, showing Byrd's predilection for precisely controlled 
counterpoint put to the service of the syllabic expression of text.

Byrd also composed three Latin Masses (for three, four, and 
five voices) during the period 1593-1595. These masses are 
unusual not only because they could no longer have a liturgical 
function, but also because they include settings of the "Kyrie" - something 
not previously done in English mass composition. The masses show 
Byrd in a reflective mode: it would seem that he composed these 
cycles as exercises, as easily performable functional music, and 
as historical examples. Though they are straightforward in design, 
the masses possess a "classical" quality of precision and balance. 
Their simple expression and contrapuntal concision make them 
unique in Renaissance music, and early examples of the classical 
spirit which was to dominate Europe two hundred years after 
Byrd's time.

Following the three masses, Byrd produced his unparalled legacy 
in sacred choral composition the two huge volumes of "Gradualia" 
(1605 & 1607). These publications consist of many short pieces 
of liturgical music, set in verse sections, which can be combined 
in various ways to form liturgically accurate Propers cycles for 
every significant feast and votive mass of the Roman Catholic 
Rite. Technically, this achievement is immense - it involves 
setting every possible Propers verse with the appropriate 
chant melody, and then providing instructions for assembling 
each of the cycles from the relevant verses. Byrd's invigoration 
by formal demands is clearly in evidence here, as well as his 
keen intellect in devising these pieces to fit together in such a 
manner. Though most of us cannot appreciate their liturgical 
design, the concision and clarity of the short pieces making up 
these books of Gradualia are impressive. These publications 
comprise one of the supreme testaments in Western music.

Byrd also published numerous smaller scale songs: "Psalmes, 
Sonets & Songs" (1588), "Songs of Sundrie Natures" (1589) & 
"Psalmes, Songs & Sonnets" (1611). As their titles indicate, these 
collections contain songs in a variety of genres, from sacred to 
English secular. These pieces were published with text underlays 
to each part, as was the fashion at the time, but Byrd also indicates 
that they can be performed with a single singer with viol 
consort accompaniment - a specifically English practice. 
Many of these songs continue to be extremely popular, straight 
through from the time of their inception to today. Byrd also 
composed a fairly substantial volume of consort music: viol 
fantasias, variations and dances of three to six parts, five five-part 
"In Nomines," as well as having some of his works arranged by 
others for the lute. Though not as singularly impressive and 
influential as many of his other compositional endeavors, these 
works are of high quality, in keeping with Byrd's versatile genius. 
The finest examples are the six-part consorts, including a late 
pavan & galliard.

The final - and perhaps most impressive - examples of Byrd's 
immense legacy of compositions are his keyboard pieces. Most 
of these were unpublished during his lifetime (due to the technical 
demands of keyboard engraving), but Byrd saw fit to compile a 
collection of some of his best music to date in 1591: "My Ladye 
Nevells Book." In addition, a few of Byrd's keyboard compositions 
were published along with some of John Bull's and Orlando Gibbons' 
in the first English publication of keyboard music, "Parthenia" in 
1612/13. Though precise instruments were seldom specified at 
the time, most of Byrd's keyboard music sounds most idiomatic 
on the virginal/harpsichord, a lesser volume on the organ (his 
own instrument). This music apparently had a lively tradition of 
home performance, as witnessed by Byrd's compilation for his 
patron/pupil Lady Nevell as well as evidence that such a high figure as 
Queen Mary learned to play the virginal. Byrd's compositions include 
all the major genres of the time: the austere fantasia, the 
rhythmically advanced pavan & galliard pair, and the virtuosic 
variation set.

Byrd's keyboard music is the earliest substantial legacy in 
Western music, making him the first genius of the keyboard. 
These pieces show a substantial development of style, from 
the more polyphonically oriented counterpoint of the earlier 
works to the demanding and idiomatic keyboard writing of the 
later works. The early music begins as an impressive example 
of melodically engaging keyboard writing, and slowly develops 
into the later music of involved formal investigation, rhythmic 
ingenuity, and - ultimately - transfiguration. In the later years 
of his life, Byrd increasingly took up writing pieces in the paired 
dance forms of Pavan & Galliard; his series of works in this 
genre bear witness to his compositional virtuosity as convincingly 
as the comparable keyboard cycles of J. S. Bach's Preludes & 
Fugues and Beethoven's Sonatas. His most impressive pieces 
in this form include the "Passing Measures Pavan & Galliard" and 
the "Quadran Pavan & Galliard," each superimposing a strict 
variation structure on these serious dance forms. The formal 
demands Byrd sets for himself in these works are enormous, 
and the verve and depth with which he carries them off is as 
incredible as any piece of Western instrumental writing.

Taken together, Byrd's huge legacy of music - several hundred 
individual compositions - makes him one of the most brilliant 
composers in Western history. His vocal music has retained 
its popularity from his own time directly into ours, and his other
music is now growing in appreciation as it is rediscovered. In
 particular, Byrd's position in the history of keyboard music is 
once again assured, and his contribution to the development 
of the North German virtuoso style is now firmly established. 

(My thanks to Fr. Bernard Whitcomb, S.J., for the above bio of 
Byrd.  Typical.... ask a Jesuit a simple question and.... but then, to a 
Jesuit, there ARE no simple questions, only untutored minds.) 

