Welcome to our Festival blog

We are a small congregation commemorating the 400th anniversary of the death of the village's Elizabethan composer, William Byrd (c.1540 - 1623).

We are planning to erect a permanent memorial to Byrd to mark the quatercentenary since his death, and have begun a fundraising appeal. Our events this year have included a talk on The Life and Times of William Byrd (30 June), including book release; a Commemorative Service of BCP Evensong (2 July); and, welcomed The Stondon Singers who gave a sell-out William Byrd Anniversary Concert on the actual day (4 July). Stondon Massey has also featured on BBC Radio 3's 'Composer of the Week' programme (3-7 July).

This website contains everything you need to know about William Byrd's life and music as well as his links with Stondon Massey. /

Thursday 2 December 2010

Festival Mention in Magazine

William Byrd, "one of the indisputable giants of Renaissance music", is the Great Composer featured in the January 2011 edition of the Classic fm magazine published today. The article mentions the forthcoming 'William Byrd Festival' at St Peter & St Paul Church, Stondon Massey (Essex), an invitation to visit the Memorial Tablet (though please contact beforehand, because the church is usually locked), and a photograph of the small Norman church which we should emphasise is in a small village, not a town, of about 600 residents.

The William Byrd Festival is being held in support of repairs and maintenance to the church and its surroundings.