ne of the worst-kept secrets in the England of Queen Elizabeth I was the Catholic faith of Chapel Royal composer William Byrd. Towards the end of his life, he moved to the countryside, where he found a friend and patron in Baron John Petre. In Petre’s household, Byrd was able to practise his faith in secret while continuing to compose and perform Catholic music. This programme imagines how Advent and Christmas may have been celebrated among a clandestine circle of Catholic friends.
Elizabeth Sommers – violin, voice
Elizabeth Rumsey – viol
Simon MacHale – voice
Katharine Hawnt – voice
Rui Stähelin – lute, voice
Grace Newcombe – voice, organ; direction
Free entry – collection
Byrd & the Baron
“I’ll be there”
by David Fallows
One of the great details about the November concert is that it shows so many sides of Byrd’s genius: variation sets, pavan and galliard pairs, mass ordinary music, mass proper music, carols. And one of the great details about Byrd’s music is that he really excelled in all those directions (and others). You are entitled to think that it is just because I am English (as is Grace Newcombe, who devised the programme: not British but quite specifically English) that we think of Byrd as one of the most universal composers of all time. But if you do think that, come along to the concert and test it out.
Savour in particular the three-voice mass, the least heard of his three masses. Or savour the grand Petre pavan and galliard. No: savour it all. This is my version of musical bliss.
Dorfkirche Riehen
Barfüsserkirche
Historisches Museum Basel
3 Kleinkonzerte
St.-Alban Quartier, Basel
