Evensong Commemorating William Byrd
5 - 6pm, Sunday 9 July at Waiapu Cathedral
This Sunday’s Evensong with the Cathedral Choir features the music of William Byrd, leading English Renaissance composer.
Evensong is a traditional and reflective service with beautiful choral music. For this service the choir will sing an evening service setting, introit and anthem by Byrd to commemorate the 400th anniversary of his death.
William Byrd (1539 – 1632) was one of the finest composers of his age. Almost 600 of his pieces have survived: church music with Latin texts; church music with English texts; partsongs and madrigals; consort songs; instrumental ensemble music; and keyboard music.
The music he wrote for the Anglican church has never fallen out of favour, but most of his other music had to wait until the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century for its revival. A century later, that revival is at its peak. [Information from Classical-music.com]
