'The Life and Times of William Byrd: A Local History'. Programme

 Curtain up for the special event at our Church.

Here is the Programme.

Programme

Welcome to the first of three events celebrating the life and work of our local composer and musician William Byrd who died here in 1623.

Let us take you this evening back to the sixteenth and early 17^th centuries. This was a time when worship in the Church of England was compulsory and refusal to attend subject to large fines. William Byrd was a recusant Catholic. Tonight, we will explore his life and times and the company he kept.

The script has been especially written for the occasion and we invite you to buy a copy of the accompanying book, price £5.00, which is a longer version of the research in support of a project to raise money for a memorial outside the church to mark Byrd’s quatercentenary.   

Our “cast” in order of appearance are:

 

Narrator                                                  Andrew Smith

Revd. Reeve                                          John Hughes

William Byrd                                           John Cannon

Narrator 2                                               Anne Springate

Roy Hattersley                                        Kevin Wood

Minister                                                  Gail Hughes

Queen Elizabeth I                                  Revd. Sam Brazier Gibbs

Father Edmund Campion                       Steve Drinkall

John Stow                                               Kevin Wood

Father William Weston                           Steve Drinkall

The Times reporter                                 Sandra Wood

Stondon Massey churchwarden             Jan Macintosh

Father Henry Garnet                              Steve Drinkall

Earl of Northampton                               Kevin Wood

Non-speaking parts:

Mrs Jane Shelley                                    Sandra Keeble

Mrs Bellamy                                           Elaine Smith

 Still to come:

Sunday 2 July:    3.00pm.   William Byrd Commemorative Service.

Tuesday 4 July:  8.00pm.   Stondon Singers Concert – all seats sold.

 Listen to ‘Composer of the Week’ on BBC Radio 3 at midday every day week commencing 3 July. Andrew Smith was interviewed ‘on location’ about Byrd’s time at Stondon Massey and will appear in the programmes on Monday and Friday.

 Our story unfolds as follows:

The Prologue

1.  Introduction

2.  Queen Elizabeth I

 3.  William Byrd. Biography

 4.  The Paget Family. A web of intrigue

 5.  Priests and Plotters. Father Edmund Campion and others

 6.  Questionable Company

 

-      Interval -

Our Byrd table may have

seeds and nuts but there will be wine to partake,

and other drink.

We will be hawking Byrd books:

“The Life and Times of William Byrd: A Local History” £5.00

“William Byrd: Some Notes” £3.00. (or buy both for £7.00)

 7.  The Petre Family

 8.  William Byrd at Stondon Massey

 9.  Gradualia and the Gunpowder Plot

 10. William Byrd Tercentenary Celebrations

 11. Epilogue

For more information about William Byrd, our church, and our project please visit: www.williambyrdfestival.blogspot.com .