William Byrd essays

William Byrd essays William Byrd was the foremost English composer during the Renaissance Era. He was born in Lincolnshire in 1543, and died in 1632. As a student of Thomas Tallis, he was exposed to music of the Chapel Royal and the best of the English tradition. In 1563 he was appointed organist of Lincoln Cathedral, and by 1572 joined Tallis a gentleman of the Chapel Royal where he shared organist duties with Tallis. In 1575, Tallis and Byrd jointly published Cantiones Sacrae, 34 motets dedicated to Elizabeth I. He composed music for underground catholic circles for years. He composed for every branch of music; Consort, Sacred, Keyboard music. As an organist and a performer, he wrote many compositions for instruments, many of which were popular pieces played during his time and today. He was the first Englishman to write madrigals. Also, his superbly constructed key board works marked the beginning of the Baroque organ and harpsichord style. Byrd is famous for writing extraordinary masses, motets, ma drigals, vocal and solo songs, and for chamber music composed for strings without voice. He was considered the foremost composer of keyboard music in all of Europe during the Renaissance Era. Byrd greatly contributed to the Roma rite, by the three Masses and the two books of Gradualia, published over fifteen years. He wrote many of Anglican church music for the Chapel Royal, including such masterpieces as the ten-voice Great Service and anthemes such as Sing joyfully. Also, he devoted his life to compose music for the Roman liturgy. He published his three famous settings of the Mass Ordinary between 1592 and 1595, and followed them in 1605 and 1607 with his two books of Gradualia, an elaborate year-long musical cycle. During Renaissance era, Byrd wrote many compositions for various parts of music, and contributed greatly in affecting and shaping much of later English music. ...