1605 Treason and Dischord: William Byrd and the Gunpowder Plot

Featuring

Sarah Baldock
David Hurley
Robin Tyson
Paul Phoenix
Philip Lawson
Christopher Gabbitas

Stephen Connolly
Concordia
The King's Singers
John Dowland
William Byrd
Richard Dering
Peter Philips
Thomas Weelkes
Francis Pott

Did you know?

1/7

Performer Biography

Concordia, directed by Mark Levy, was formed to explore music involving viols and has received accolades for its recordings of English consort music.

Composer Biography

William Byrd, the most famous composer of his age, was a Roman Catholic and a senior member of the King's Chapel Royal, who voiced dissent through his music.

Historical Context

The album's theme revolves around the Gunpowder Plot of November 5, 1605, when Guy Fawkes attempted to detonate gunpowder under the House of Lords.

Composer's Artistic Vision

William Byrd wrote masses and motets for English Catholics, believing that God taught him to frame tunes fit for sacred words, drawing on profound and hidden power in the ideas expressed.

Composition History

The album includes a newly commissioned work, 'Master Tresham: His Ducke' by British composer Francis Pott, which reflects on the Gunpowder Plot as the '9/11' of its day.

Performer Biography

The King's Singers, formed in 1968 by six Choral Scholars from King's College Cambridge, have commissioned over 200 pieces from well-known composers.

Album & Artwork

The album's music and prose project, titled '1605: treason & dischord', illuminates the dangers faced by Catholics and the Protestant celebration following the Gunpowder Plot.