The Three Masses
William Byrd 1540?-1623
with The Easter Propers for five voices by Byrd

William Byrd's three settings of the Ordinary of Mass for the underground Recusant Catholic church in England are among the most remarkable sacred works of the Renaissance. Their emotional intensity and sheer compositional genius raise Byrd above his contemporaries as England's finest polyphonist.

Byrd's settings of the mass Propers for Easter come from his collection of music for the mass, the Gradualia (covertly published in two volumes in 1605 and 1607). Byrd's settings of the movements of the Easter Propers differ from those of his continental contemporaries in that Byrd's settings maintain a sense of intimacy, focusing on the expression of the Easter texts rather than attempting to achieve grandiloquent gestures.

The Tudor Consort presents these remarkable works in separate performances in two of Wellington's finest choral acoustics.

Glenn Denby and Matthew Painter in costume, 9 June 2002Programmes

William Byrd: Mass for Three Voices and Mass for Four Voices
with plainsong propers

Mass for Three Voices soloists: Megan Hurnard, Alastair Carey, Simon Baskerville
Mass for Four Voices soloists: Brian Hesketh, Christopher Warwick, Alastair Carey, Kenneth Trass, Glenn Denby, Philip Roderick, Timothy Hurd, Matthew Painter

Costumed performance

Sunday, 9 June 2002
8pm (pre-concert talk at 7.45pm)
Sacred Heart Cathedral
Hill Street

$20 / $10

Download review from The Evening Post, 12 June 2002
Download pre-concert talk from this performance
Download programme (including performance order and texts and translations) from this performance

William Byrd: Mass for Five Voices
with the polyphonic propers for Easter Day by William Byrd

Mass for Five Voices and Easter Propers soloists: Rebecca Murphy, Janine Dyne, Christopher Warwick, Kenneth Trass, Ewen Griffiths, Brian Hesketh

Non-costumed performance

Tuesday, 11 June 2002
8pm (pre-concert talk at 7.45pm)
St Mary of the Angels
Boulcott Street

This programme was recorded for future broadcast by Concert FM

$20 / $10

Download review from The Dominion, 13 June 2002
Download pre-concert talk from this performance
Download programme (including performance order and texts and translations) from this performance

Entry to both performances: $30 / $15 (normally $40 / $20)
Tickets for the 11 June performance available for purchase at the 9 June performance.

dir. Alastair Carey

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