Byrd Book

The most authoritative account of Byrd's life and work to date is told in 'William Byrd. Gentleman of the Chapel Royal' by John Harley, published in 1997 (Ashgate). Chapter 5 covers Byrd's time at Stondon Massey.

William Byrd Festival Programme

The Festival will be held over two weekends in May 2011 at St Peter & St Paul Church, Stondon Massey. We are raising funds to create a new Garden of Remembrance in the churchyard where William Byrd was buried.

Sunday 1 May

During the 9am service music by Byrd will be played.

Saturday 7 May
4.00pm (repeated at 7.30pm)
"William Byrd: His Essex Years"
A talk given by Richard Turbet (Aberdeen University), illustrated with pieces performed by The Stondon Singers, conducted by Christopher Tinker.
Tickets: £12.50 (under 16s, £6.00)

Sunday 8 May
9.00am
Morning Prayer. 1662 Service

Our service, otherwise known as Matins, is taken from the Book of Common Prayer and will include recorded as well as live music by William Byrd. Jubilate, our church music group, will sing the anthem: 'If Ye Love Me' by Thomas Tallis. The address will be given by Richard Turbet. No tickets necessary. Collection plate will come around during the singing of one of the hymns.

Sunday 8 May - 'Fringe Event'

2.30 - 4.30pm

St Peter & St Paul Church will be open to visitors.

Saturday 14 May
7.30pm
"William Byrd: Loyal Heart or Traitor?"
The Writtle Singers, conducted by Christine Gwynn, and Martyn Richards will explore in words ans music Byrd's recusant Catholic faith and his honoured relationship with Queen Elizabeth I.
Tickets: £12.50 (under 16s, £6.00)

Sunday 15 May
9.00am (repeated at 11.00am at the Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore)
"Every man should learne to sing"
A Service of your Top 10 favourite hymns.

Six of the Best: William Byrd recordings

In 1923 Reverend Reeve of Stondon Massey attended the Tercentenary celebrations of William Byrd's death in London. At Westminster Abbey he heard for the first time the rediscovered 'Great Service' of Anglican music performed by 200 voices. The manuscript had been found in Durham Cathedral library and then edited for performance by Edmund Fellowes. This disc, by the Choir of Westminster Abbey under conductor James O'Donnell, includes the setting for the Morning and Evening Services plus a scattering of anthems.

Two movements from the disc will be played at the William Byrd Service (BCP Matins) at Stondon Massey on Sunday 8 May at 9.00am.

Six of the Best: William Byrd recordings

This seven disc box set is a bargain. It features, as it says, 'The Complete Keyboard Music' of William Byrd performed on various instruments by Davitt Moroney. Some pieces were recorded at Ingatestone Hall. The box set comes complete with a 195 page booklet giving details of the pieces and a biographical account of William Byrd. My favourite piece is 'The Bells'.

Our organist, John Hatt, will be playing three keyboard pieces at the service at St Peter & St Paul Church, Stondon Massey (9am) on Sunday 8 May:

- 'Lord Willobies Welcome Home' from 'My Lady Nevells Booke of Virginal Music

- 'Monsieurs Alman'

- 'Fantasia' from 'Fitzwilliam Virginal Book'

Six of the Best: William Byrd recordings

'Music for a Hidden Chapel' recalls the clandestine performances of Byrd's music in the great Catholic houses of such places as Ingatestone Hall in Essex. This disc includes Easter music taken from the composer's Gradualia cycle of 1607 dedicated to his patron Lord Petre of Ingatestone. Chanticleer are the performers.

Six of the Best: William Byrd recordings

'The Very Best of English Song' is a compilation of music on the EMI classics label. I have chosen this for the single Byrd track from the 2 CD set. 'Elegy on the death of Thomas Tallis' (otherwise known as 'Ye Sacred Muses') was composed by Byrd in honour of his great friend. Michael Chance's performance is really something. Worth going to Amazon to buy this collection.

Six of the Best: William Byrd recordings

For a great introduction to Byrd's music you cannot go wrong with the budget priced and nicely recorded disc on the Naxos label entitled 'Byrd. Consort and Keyboard Music Songs and Anthems'. It features the Rose Consort of Viols, with that rich warm sound of Elizabethan England, and Red Byrd. Tessa Bonner sings on four of the 17 tracks.

Six of the Best: William Byrd recordings

The Cardinall's Musick, under the direction of Andrew Carwood, completed the entire corpus of Byrd's Latin-text music last year with the Gramophone award winning disc 'In Felix Ego'. The fifth of the thirteen discs features the Mass for Three, Four and Five Voices, probably the most performed of all Byrd's music.

The Writtle Singers will perform the Mass for Four Voices in its entirety at their concert entitled 'William Byrd: Loyal Heart or Traitor' as part of the William Byrd Festival at St Peter & St Paul Church, Stondon Massey on Saturday 14 May (7.30pm).

The previous week the Masses feature among the musical illustrations to be given by the Stondon Singers when Richard Turbet talks on 'William Byrd: His Essex Years'.

If there is one Byrd CD to own, this is the one.

Illegal Masses and Priest Holes

“You have all heard no doubt of the discovery of a hidden chamber at Ingatestone Hall in 1855. This was undoubtedly what is called a Priest’s Hole for hiding both Priest and vestments in the days when Mass was illegal. It measures 14ft. long, by 2ft. broad and 10ft. deep and was approached by a trap door and ladder and when discovered contained a chest for vestments and vessels”.

Laurie, Major Allan D. Antiquities of Essex (1946)

Ingatestone Hall Open To Visitors

Ingatestone Hall, the seat of the Petre family, opens its doors once again to the public from Easter Sunday (next Sunday, 24 April) through until the end of September. The Hall was the location of frequent visits of the local composer William Byrd, both before and whilst in semi-retirement at Stondon Massey in Essex.

According to the website www.ingatestonehall.com the Hall and gardens are open from 12.00 – 5.00pm (last admission 4pm) on Wednesdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays (except Wednesdays in June).

Pictured here is an old postcard showing, to the right, the former Chapel (now demolished) used by the family and local Catholic community for Services.

The present Lord Petre is coming to the William Byrd Festival on 7 May at 4pm.