Byrd Great Service
- Byrd: The Great Service
- Tallis Scholars - Peter Phillips
Gimell Records 1585-11 [LP]
Gimell Records 1585T-11 [Cassette]
Gimell Records CDGIM 011 [CD]
Gimell 454 911 [CD]
Contents:
The Great Service
- Venite
- Te Deum
- Benedictus
- Creed
- Magnificat
- Nunc dimittis
- O Lord, make Thy servant Elizabeth
- O God, the proud are risen
- Sing joyfully unto God
Playing time: 53'
Release date: 1987
Reviewed in:
Gramophone (Vol./#-p.): (June 1987)
The Great Service is one of Byrd's most jubilant compositions,
though not one of his most complex. It is a fine example of Anglican
service music, here accompanied by three short anthems.
This music is essentially in the style of Byrd's earlier Latin
works. He ceased composing motets later in his life, so that high
point is reached c.1590 in a couple of prints. Nonetheless, there
are many quality Latin works, some of extravagant scope. The
beginning of a series promising to survey them:
- Byrd Edition - 1
- Early Latin Church Music / Propers for Lady Mass in Advent
The Cardinall's Musick - Andrew Carwood & David Skinner
AS&V 170
Byrd's later sacred output, together with the
masses, is generally much more compact in
its writing and functional in its outline. This is particularly
true of the massive Gradualia. A nice recording:
- Byrd: Gradualia, Vol. 1
- The William Byrd Choir - Gavin Turner
Hyperion 66451
Along with this, he wrote sacred songs
in a more intimate idiom.
Other recordings of the Great Service:
- Byrd: The Great Service
- The Choir of Westminster Abbey - James O'Donnell
Hyperion 67533
- Byrd: The Great Service
- The Cardinall's Musick - Andrew Carwood
Hyperion 67937
Examples of earlier & later Anglican music by the present
ensemble:
- Tallis: The Complete English Anthems
- Tallis Scholars - Peter Phillips
Gimell 454 907
- Tomkins: The Great Service
- Tallis Scholar - Peter Phillips
Gimell 454 924
Their other CD recording of Byrd:
- Byrd: The Three Masses
- Tallis Scholars - Peter Phillips
Gimell 454 945
And a DVD production, including documentary (plus a separate CD
version):
- Playing Elizabeth's Tune
- The Tallis Scholars sing William Byrd
Tallis Scholars - Peter Phillips
Gimell DP/DN 901 (DVD)
Gimell CDGIM 992 (CD)
Gimell GIMSA 592 (SACD)
Finally, a couple of other Byrd collections:
- Byrd: Second Service & Consort Anthems
- Rogers Covey-Crump / Fretwork / Choir of Magdalen College,
Oxford - Bill Ives
Harmonia Mundi USA 907440
- Byrd: Great Service / Cantiones Sacrae / Masses / Gradualia
- Laudantes Consort - Guy Janssens
Arsonor 010
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Todd M. McComb