Album: William Byrd, Assumpta est Maria (Hyperion)

George Hall
Sunday 23 August 2009 00:00 BST
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Eric Garcia

Washington Bureau Chief

Since even possessing acopy of Byrd's 1605"Gradualia" could land anEnglish Catholic in troublewith the early Jacobeanauthorities, it's notsurprising that only oneset of the publicationsurvives in its first edition.

Byrd himself lived toa ripe old age, but someof his associates werenot so lucky. In thesesettings of hymns to theVirgin Mary for three,four and five voices, TheCardinall's Musick underAndrew Carwood showthe deep feeling as wellas the dignity of theseillicit and originallysecret settings.

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