William Byrd and his teacher, colleague, and friend Thomas Tallis held the royal patent for printing music and music paper from 1575 to 1596, a monopoly Byrd continued after Tallis's death.
Interpretation
The Chelys Consort of Viols, known for faithful yet fresh interpretations, uses viols strung entirely in gut, as was historically accurate, to achieve a distinctive sound.
Compositional Technique
Byrd's instrumental writing, such as the 'Fantasia à5: Two Parts in One in the Fourth Above', often displays a sense of humor through dance-like snippets, even within strict compositional parameters like a canon.
Composer Biography
William Byrd, a key figure in musical history, was a devout Catholic who was also a favorite of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I, who had made his faith illegal.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Byrd's lifelong devotion to music is captured in his own words from 1611, stating that his natural inclination and love for the art were so powerful he could not stop working on it even in old age.
Composition History
Byrd's song 'Wretched Albinus' is found in a collection owned by Edward Paston, a Catholic gentleman and keen music collector, and its text is believed to be by Paston himself, written on the fall of the Earl of Essex in 1601.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Byrd's loyalty to Queen Elizabeth I is shown in his adaptation of Psalm 21 to refer to her, and in 'Rejoice unto the Lord' where he gives thanks for her stable governance and acknowledges the divine ordination of her rule.
