WILLIAM BYRD (1540-1623)

Hodie Simon Petrus

Volume 11 in The Cardinall’s Musick Byrd Edition

1. Descendit de caelis SAATTB

2. Tu es pastor ovium AATTBB

3. Miserere mei, Deus SATBarB

4. Circumdederunt me ATTBarB

5. Quodcumque ligaveris AATTBB

6. Recordare, Domine SAATB

7. Exsurge, quare obdormis, Domine? SATTB

8. Laetania Bar·ATTB

9. Nunc scio vere AATTBarB

10. Constitues eos principes AATTBarB

11. Tu es Petrus AATTBarB

12. Levemus corda SAATB

13. Hodie Simon Petrus AATTBarB

14. Solve, iubente Deo AATTBarB

15. Haec dicit Dominus ATTBarB

The Cardinall’s Musick / Andrew Carwood

The works in this eleventh volume of The Cardinall’s Musick complete Byrd Edition present Byrd the recusant: covering the last year of his fashionable career in London and moving to a quieter life in the Essex countryside. The music is from two sources: the magnificent Cantiones Sacrae of 1591 and the Gradualia from 1607. The seven motets from 1591 show Byrd to be pre-occupied with thoughts of desolation, loss, deprivation and separation - familiar ideas for the recusant Catholic community. A feeling of angst in the music is leavened by a sense of salvation and a glimmer of hope which is the composer’s constant refrain. The Gradualia are some of the most imaginative, modern-sounding and energetic music that the composer ever wrote.

The Cardinall’s inspirational director Andrew Carwood sets the scene with fascinating booklet notes that illustrate the complex political and religious circumstances in which this great music was engendered.

Hyperion CDA67653