BYRD, WILLIAM

William Byrd was one of the most prominent composers of sixteenth-century England; in addition, he was known as a versatile musician, able to perform on many instruments. He probably began his musical career as a choirboy, either in Queen Mary's* Chapel Royal or at St. Paul's Cathedral with his two older brothers. Byrd served as organist of Lincoln Cathedral from 1563 until he joined Elizabeth I's* Chapel Royal in 1572. His compositions bear some resemblance to those of his teacher, Thomas Tallis.* With Tallis he was so favored by Eliz­abeth that in 1575 the monarch granted the two composers a monopoly on printed music and music paper; the venture was a business failure, producing only one publication, their joint Cantiones sacrae (Sacred songs, 1575), which did not sell.When Tallis died ten years later, he left his share to Byrd's youngest son, Thomas, Tallis's godson. William Byrd later sold his share to his own pupil, Thomas Morley.* Both Byrd and Morley were famous for writing mad­rigals and secular dance music. Byrd also collaborated with John Bull,* pub­lishing a collection entitled Parthenia (c. 1612).

Byrd adhered to the Roman Catholic faith despite its unpopularity in the England of his time. He was apparently forced to withdraw from publication his Gradualia (1605), a collection of motets based on the Roman Catholic lit­urgy. With his wife Juliana, their children Rachael, Elizabeth, and Christopher, and at least one of their servants, Byrd was prosecuted on several occasions for absenting himself from Anglican services. However, none of the cases reached trial, since Byrd was protected by the queen. Nor did Byrd's Catholic ties pre­vent him from setting to music many poems of Sir Philip Sidney,* a strong Protestant. Christopher Byrd later married the sister of a Catholic chaplain.

Byrd's instrumental music, of which he published little, was virtually un­known until the twentieth century. However, both vocal and instrumental com­positions are creative and imaginative while drawing on English musical tradition. Equally at ease composing in Latin and English, Byrd claimed in his Psalmes, Songs, and Sonnets (1611) that his goal was one of matching his music "to the life of the words."

J. Harley, William Byrd: Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, 1997.

(1543, Lincoln ?, England – 4 July 1623, Stondon Massey, Essex)

   Great master of high Renaissance polyphony, he was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers at Lincoln Cathedral from 25 March 1563, Gentleman of the Chapel Royal from February 1570, joint organist from December 1572 with Thomas Tallis, with whom he published his first Latin motets, the Cantiones of 1575.

   Although a Roman Catholic, he composed more than 65 English anthems; in later years, he composed mostly for the Catholic rites, an act that demanded discretion. His most famous works today, the Latin masses for three voices (c. 1592–1593), four voices (c. 1593– 1594), and five voices (c. 1595), he printed in limited editions with-out title pages. They exhibit a consummate mastery of contrapuntal technique and make no use of cantus firmus, paraphrase, or parody technique, but are freely composed, unusual for the time. After 1590, he undertook the immense project of setting an entire liturgical cycle of mass propers for feast days, the Gradualia. Byrd also composed six fantasies and five preludes and other liturgical pieces for keyboard and a significant amount of secular vocal and instrumental music. He exercised an enormous influence on English music; among his students were Thomas Morley and Thomas Tomkins, and possibly Thomas Weelkes and John Bull.

(1540-1623)

   English composer, born in London and probably trained in the Chapel Royal under Thomas Tallis. He became organist and choirmaster at Lincoln cathedral (1563-1572), and in 1572 he was named a gentleman of the Chapel Royal and organist conjointly with his teacher, Tallis. In 1575 Queen Elizabeth I granted the two of them a privilege (a legal monopoly) for the publication and sale of printed music. Byrd's compositions included much music for the services of the Church of England, though Byrd and his family remained Roman Catholics. In the early 1590s he retired to Essex, but he continued composing and publishing religious and secular music, both vocal and instrumental. His Anglican service music, his few but highly regarded masses, and his motets are leading examples of English contrapuntal music of the late Renaissance.

Byrd, William

• Article examining life, sacred and secular music, and related composers

Catholic Encyclopedia.Kevin Knight.2006.