WILLIAM BYRD (1539/40–1623)

Laudibus in sanctis and other sacred music

1 Quis est homo? [6'19]

2 Tribulatio proxima et [5'28]

3 Apparebit in finem [2'33]

Propers for Lady Mass in Eastertide

4 Salve sancta parens INTROIT [4'37]

5 Alleluia. Ave Maria … Virga Iesse ALLELUIAS [3'39]

6 Beata es, virgo Maria OFFERTORY [2'06]

7 Beata viscera COMMUNION [1'48]

8 Regina caeli [4'48]

9 Salve regina [7'07]

10 Fac cum servo tuo [4'41]

11 Ecce quam bonum [3'41]

12 In manus tuas, Domine [2'14]

13 Unam petii a Domino [3'50]

14 Visita quaesumus, Domine [3'19]

15 Domine, exaudi orationem meam, inclina [6'26]

16 Laudibus in sanctis [5'44]

The Cardinall’s Musick / Andrew Carwood

It is Byrd’s genius which first attracts musicians and listeners to his music: his fine command of invention and dramatic flow, his subtle melodies and harmonic turns mixed with a sophisticated understanding of the texts that he chose to set. Quite simply he was the finest composer of his age.

For ten years now Andrew Carwood and The Cardinall’s Musick have been engaged on a project to make the definitive recordings of William Byrd’s Latin Church music. We are delighted to be able to issue this tenth disc—there will be three more to complete the series—on the Hyperion label (volumes 1 to 9 appeared on the ASV/Sanctuary imprint).

The survey has now reached the highpoint of Byrd’s creative achievement that is the 1591 Cantiones Sacrae publication from which we have seven works, culminating in the athletic extravagances of Laudibus in sanctis. From the 1605 Gradualia—the thread of Byrd’s subversive liturgical legacy which has run through the whole of this series—we have a further nine motets, including the Propers for use at Lady Mass in Eastertide.

The Cardinall’s Musick’s first Hyperion recording has just been announced as the Choral Category Winner of the 2006 Gramophone Awards. Presenting a programme of music by Thomas Tallis, and centred on his monumental Gaude gloriosa, this disc (CDA67548) was enthusiastically welcomed in the press: ‘This is the first manifestation of the new exclusive contract between Hyperion and The Cardinall’s Musick. With Andrew Carwood’s scholarly approach to Tudor music, coupled with the individual excellence of each of his singers and the superlative production values of Hyperion, I suspect this is going to be a very fruitful collaboration’ (International Record Review); ‘This superbly sung selection of some of his finest Latin church music will surely prove to be one of Tallis’s very best 500th birthday presents. It is hard to imagine a better performance of the magnificent six-part votive antiphon Gaude gloriosa’ (The Daily Telegraph); ‘This is a highlight of the Tallis year’ (Fanfare, USA).

Hyperion CDA67568