It is comforting I am not alone in adoring this wonderful music. There are a few others in the world just like me! Thank you for uploading and sharing. Cheers from Australia
Byrd's house site in Lincoln, a few yards from the wonderful cathedral of that fine city, is easy to visit. It is truly astounding to stand outside and look at the cathedral he would have seen.
I sit down with the music to follow, hadn't even looked at it at all not had the time. And at the beginning of the Kyrie I suddenly realise that I know it! I sang it 35 years ago!! I'd forgotten all about it. I clearly also remember the bass part, I'm soprano, we were 4 here in France in the north east. Well what a surprise!
I also find the Agnus Dei the most beautiful part of this mass. Another fine performance of this Agnus Dei is th-cam.com/video/-kt2TpaEDV0/w-d-xo.html by four members of the "Sixteen".
Magnifique...utterly magnifique ,eh? His mass for 5 voces is summat else as well...listen to the soaring harmonies , the delightful ins and outs of the voices , of the varying timbres...he's the biz , the divine Byrd...yes , but don't go overboard...he'll never be another Des O' Connor or even Vince Hill , but he's bluddy good , give the man his due
this is so captivating. I was going to bed, and then I found this randomly. It's a problem really - Im working early tomorrow, and I can not turn music this off
This gives an ominous but at the same time very noble background behind the voices and in the voices. Definitely gives me some lucid visions and flashba.....that's not the point.. but this is a great work of art!
Haha the group is more than 40 years old and one of the most prestigious a Capella groups in the world. They've definitely gone places. And definitely not a one hit wonder, they have a colossal repertoire.
Lol. Sorry, but I had to laugh. Do a quick TH-cam search and you can listen to dozens of their recordings of very successful concerts. I saw them in a concert earlier this year, and although they're mostly a new group now, they always keep their same spirit and style. Very kind and approachable men, too. They stayed behind after the concert to sign cds and talk to the audience. They're celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.
Just picked up the Riemenschneider to study some chorales and heard the earl of Salisbury from a TH-cam recommendation. Some definite techniques I'd like to learn from these scores, if available.
Lovely performance by the King's Singers and most pleasant to have on the computer whilst working(!) Question: Is their pace a tad slower than, as written or is it just the King's Singers "style"?
In answer to your question, Byrd didn't specify a tempo for his music but is generally performed at a slightly faster tempo as you has mentioned. The King's Singers will often approach pieces with fresh interpretations so the King's Singers 'style' isn't really something set in stone. I hope this answers your question!
Hi John, MThanks for your feedback, most appreciated and it's all clear now. I never realised that the King's Singers were putting their own interpretation in their performances. WRgds - David
If you would look/listen to Ton Koopman, you will see a rich mix of approaches to interpretation of his played and conducted works, of which a lot of J. S Bach. I myself, am very content and happy with Ton´s Life Long work to perfect "interpretation" in any way possible. Admitting it is subjective, one of those accacions a can live and undeline such. ;)
As seen in the description, yes they are xD You probably have realized that in the meantime but I just wanted to write it :) Please forgive me for that
WILLIAM BYRD { LONDRES ou LINCOLNSHIRE 1539/40~1623 STONDON MASSEY,ESSEX } « MASS FOR 4 VOICES « ~ THE KING’ SINGERS ~ FORMÉ EN 1968 {CAMBRIDGE} ~. Quelle merveille, de la polyphonie, voix vocales de l’ensemble THE KING, SINGERS grandiose, de cette oeuvre de WILLIAM BYRD bravo. BYRD est l’un des plus grands compositeurs anglais de la fin du XVIe siècle, et du début du XVIIe siècle. En dépit de sa fidélité à sa foi catholique, il profita de la protection de la Reine ELISABETH 1ère, fervente avocate de l’anglicanisme, pour l’impression de l’édition musicale, ce qui lui permit de superviser lui-même la publication de sa musique. Considéré comme l’un des pères de la musique de clavier il a dédié au Virginal une oeuvre pleine de charme et d’imagination, en perfectionnant notamment le genre de la danse et l’art de la variation sur des airs de danse ou des airs populaires. L’essentiel de son oeuvre est rassemblée en trois collections restées manuscrites ou publiées en Angleterre en leur temps : Parthenia, première anthologie de la musique anglaise du Virginal, offerte par BYRD à la princesse ELISABETH, fille du roi JACQUES 1er , à l’occasion de son mariage, THE FITZWILLIAM VIRGINAL BOOK, sorte de résumé de l’art de son époque, et MY LADY NEVELL’ S BOOK, recueil célèbre. Son oeuvres sacrées 3 messes, 210 Motets en Latin de 3 à 9 voix, une centaine de graduels de 3 à 6 voix. Oeuvres profanes environ 130 pièces pour Virginal dans des recueils collectifs dont 70 dans le FITZWILLIAM VIRGINAL BOOK. Merci pour ce chef-d’œuvre de WILLIAM BYRD, grands compositeurs du XVIe siècle, et du début du XVIIe siècle, qui est grandiose et éternel. Et ce moment de musique de la Renaissance, que j’ai énormément aimé sublime merci.
Can someone more versed in this tell me if this is some transcription to a lower tonality? The trebles sound really low than they should... Or am I dreaming?
Are you asking for help with vocal technique? If so, the staples always apply: reasonable amount of breath (don't "strain" by forcing too much air through, that will probably lead to cracking); relaxed jaw; raised soft palate to create more space at the back of the mouth; possibly slightly mutate the vowel sound to something "rounder" like "ah" or "oh" to help with space at the back of the mouth; sliding between notes rather than "jumping" (which creates vocal strain and neck tension), although this obviously requires practice to get the slide to be very short to sound seamless. The Bass part has similarly high notes or even higher notes in all the other movements.
csermenyizsombor are you sure? there seems to be a lot of dissent over this. some pronounce it /dʒ/, even people who studied Latin. Also, they seem to pronounce the "J" as /dʒ/ too, which definitely is wrong, since it's pronounced /j/.
Obviously, you don't know anything about classical music or Church Latin. In sacred musical works, Latin is _not_ pronounced as the Romans did. The Catholic church employs an Italianate pronunciation, and has done so since the Middle Ages. Correct Latin pronunciation is found only in the fields of Classical studies and linguistics. And if the pronunciation of the "g" sound was the only thing you noticed, you were not listening very carefully. Even more distinct from real Latin is the pronunciation of the letter "c", which was always given a "k" sound by the Romans themselves, but in liturgical music and Catholic services is pronounced either as an "s" or as a "ch" (as in church).
Traditionally, we pronounce Latin in the way it could have been done in the area where the composer can be originated from. (That is the way we learn it to do here in Hungary, and maybe it is the most authentic approach).
This piece of music was performed by consummate professionals. You can be assured that the pronunciation employed is historically accurate; i.e. it is the pronunciation that the composer intended.
It might be more helpful to think of several parallel -- and equally correct -- pronunciation systems for Latin, each with variations over time. I believe that the invariably hard "c" and "g" of Augustan Classical Latin had already begun to soften before front vowels by late imperial times. I seem to remember that the Roman Church didn't impose the Italianate pronunciation of Latin on all its branches until relatively recently -- beginning of twentieth century maybe? -- and until then non-Italian Catholics would've used their own national pronunciations of Latin. (As, indeed, Italian Catholics still do.) So, no reason to treat the Ordinary of the Mass as set by Byrd as either Cicero or Dante. I agree with DieFlabbergast that the King's Singers can be trusted to have done their research, and I was fascinated by their pronunciations in this recording. All "c"s and "sc"s before front vowels (incl œ) sound as "s," "j" is a consonant, and the "g" and "n" in "agnus" are separate -- all presumably indicating sixteenth century English pronunciation of Latin, and all identifiable in current English pronunciations: centurion, descend, cœliac, jubilee, magnum.
despite the beautiful composition and extremely well sung in most respects performance, it's really difficult to keep listening to all the 'passem's and 'arggnus dei's. The correct pronunciation is 'pah-tchem' and ahn-yus.' Get it right. (The other type is either just unlearned or trying-to-be-fashionable or some other b.s.)
+mrnnhnz English pronunciation of that time, as researched by scholars of English. Be careful who you call out or insult by saying it is b.s./trying to be fashionable. I sang with someone who was studying English of this period and I remember how much of a shock it came to our choir when she told us about "passem", etc.
Obviously, you don't know anything about classical music or Church Latin. In sacred musical works, Latin is not pronounced as the Romans did. The Catholic church employs an Italianate pronunciation, and has done so since the Middle Ages. Correct Latin pronunciation is found only in the fields of Classical studies and linguistics. The pronunciation of the letter "c" was always given a "k" sound by the Romans themselves, but in liturgical music and Catholic services is pronounced either as an "s" or as a "ch" (as in church).
The standard pronunciation of the letter "c" in "pacem" and similar words is not "s" but "ch," in the Italian manner. This is in line with the standard pronunciation of Latin "c's" when speaking in English, such as the well-known pronunciation of "pace" in "Requiescat in Pace" as "pa_ch_e" as opposed to the historically correct "Pa_k_e."
One of my friends did a massive dissertation on this anglicised pronunciation for her English degree - I spent years singing opposite her in a church choir in England, singing plenty of Latin which, incidentally I have been doing since the age of ten. I have a degree of good standing in classical music, thank you, from a very reputable British university and lots of experience in singing and playing early, Renaissance and Baroque music. So I say again, be careful who you call out as ignorant or then go on to full-on insult. If you go anywhere around the world, you will also find differing thoughts on pronunciation of church Latin, according to vernacular and period performances. Not all colours are the same, though they may come from the same source ...
After hearing numerous interpretations of "correct" vowels and consonances in this genre and comparing those with the way that I was taught I do conclude the following: 1) I have a personal preference 2) often others are faithful to practice and choose some other preference 3) The most important constant regardless of preference is that all singers in a given performance MUST do the same thing, the same way, at the same time,ie, use the same vowel color/shape/duration and the same consonance (crisp/percussive vs restrained/muted vs somewhere in between). What is correct? When all singers agree to disagree with regard to syntax IN THEORY and then lay aside their personal preference so that uniformity is preserved IN THE PERFORMANCE thereby achieving UNITY IN SPIRIT. It should never be about you or me but always about the music. That said, I know what sounds good and right and true to my ear and am always ready to honor another's preference (unless it is sorely lacking; the details must be sorted out ahead of the performance by kind and gracious interplay.
Back in the days of music on cassette tapes, I found this work of beauty , on a market stall, in a second hand tape. It was like finding treasure ! Thank you for sharing it here today. Mike
yes it is sublime. I lost my CD of this 25 years ago. Was wonderful to rediscover it here. When I was younger I played this too loudly. Years later I bumped into an elderly woman who by chance who was my neighbor back at that time. She said: "Oh! You must be the boy that played the beautiful music. What was it? It has haunted me ever since and I must hear it again!"
I am thinking about my silent generation parents, who gave us the gift of life late in their lives. They also gave us the gift of music early in our lives. They had us sing, play piano, strings and woodwinds in our house to entertain guests during Christmas. Now there’s no music in the house. But this William Byrd compilation is thankfully bringing me back to my beloved childhood with the music we experienced.
This piece is very good...starts off well , the Credo is merveilleux an I only wish I had better sound system in order to hear this consummate musical creative...he is the bee's knees
You are so right! We live in such a loud world. Addicted to sensations, screams, superficialities. We have all become consumation- junkies. What a misguided bunch of lunatics humanity has become. Listening to music like this has a detox-effect on my soul from all the insanity. Humanity is mad!
Ekin Gören So true. Especially for us bass singers who don't always get the most 'fun' part in a choir song. I just wish we sang more songs like this in choir, instead of all the pop-y stuff. Not saying it's bad, just that a little variety wouldn't hurt every now and again.
I have sung this mass many times. Byrd is my favorite composer and this is my favorite piece of his. This is a positively glorious performance of this work composed for the glory of God.
What is so good is this recording is authentic with all male voices. As I am Catholic and go to the Traditional Mass offered by the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter I hear this and worship as Byrd did.
Wonderful! I didn't know Kings Singers are as good as the Hilliard Ensemble. And William Byrd is simply one of the best and also somewhat neglected composer of the High Renaissance
um... no. Byrd is one of the most popular composers of the Elizabethan renaissance, and his works are found in the repetoire of church choirs around the world. YES he is fantastically great, but NO, he is not neglected.
Having studied all 3 of Byrd's masses (3,4 & 5 voices) & having performed the 5 voice in choir, I can say that this music is highly satisfying to sing. Even though the Catholic liturgy since Vatican II has been in the local language of the individual parish, this music stands by itself exclusive of the mass.
Marten King The FSSPX (Pius X) still does "old fashioned" Tridentine masses, entirely sung and entirely in Latin, complete with this music. On their site you can find out where they have their churches. A beautiful, profound and uplifting experience. And the choir always needs good people!
The Church has not "parked" it -- it's still available, by request if you must. +carolineleiden mixed up two separate acronyms -- FSSP is the Fraternity of St. Peter (www.fssp.org/en/presentation.htm), fully in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and obeys the Magisterium. The FSSP says the Tridentine Mass, with full permission of the Holy See and the local bishop. If you want them to come to your diocese, just ask your bishop. But you can also just ask for the Tridentine Mass even without the FSSP fathers, as some parishes in my diocese have done. It's important to note facts about the SSPX (the Society of St. Pius X that +carolineleiden mentioned in her mixed up acronym): First, they look Catholic, the sound Catholic, and they even smell Catholic, but they refuse to obey the Magisterium, thereby placing themselves outside the Church. Second, and crucial for Catholics who wish to remain in good standing with the Church and receive valid Sacraments, the Church has stated that the SSPX does NOT offer valid Sacraments, except for Reconciliation, because they do not have permission to celebrate the Mass or consecrate the Eucharistic Host. Even the devils know that without the permission of the local bishop, they don't have to obey an exorcist! How much more precious is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Consecrated Host! As the Gospels make clear, Jesus gave all authority to the Church through St. Peter and the Apostles by making them all bishops, with St. Peter as their leader -- the chairman, if you will. Anyone who acts outside the authority of the direct Apostolic lineage has no authority whatsoever. The SSPX take umbrage with the new form of the Mass, but they perform nothing more than a play, going through the motions of the Mass without anything supernatural taking place -- no transubstantiation occurs, so Christ is not present in their communion bread. I've heard that their priests try to get around this by tricking validly consecrated bishops to ordain and consecrate them, but if they sought seminary training with subterfuge in mind, then the consecration might not be valid (as when someone makes marriage vows without intending to abide by them, it invalidates the marriage). In any case, without permission from the local bishop in communion with Rome, there is no valid Sacrament. A Catholic may put their soul in grave danger if they knowingly participate in an SSPX mimicry of the Holy Mass. That's why people should be aware of what SSPX really is.
+carolineleiden you mixed up your acronyms in this comment -- FSSP celebrates the Tridentine Missa with full approval of the Holy See and with the permission of the local bishop. The SSPX (Society of St. Pius X) are rebellious and have excommunicated themselves from the Church by refusing to recognize the authority of the Magisterium.
Bagend123 Some of it likely is a cappella, but there is definitely instrumental support in some places as well - and so well blended that it is easy to miss it. But, I will direct you to the 'Et resurrexit' entrance in the Credo: 11:46 The Bass line is clearly augmented, by a Cello I assume. Listen with an extremely critical ear, and you will start to hear that texture come through in other places. Don't get me wrong, I think it is fantastic and now my favorite recording of this piece. Masterfully blended.
Mathias from Brazil! I thank you for disposable this beautiful song! My grand father fight in that second war! And he love this kind of music and I like it too! Thanks!
The bass from 0:13 to 0:19 keeps messing with my brain because I keep thinking at 0:19 he’s going to hit a low note but he doesn’t which always gets me.
"sublime" = noble and majestic (高贵/俨) The majesty and beauty of vocal music does not depend mainly on the meaning of the lyrics, but on the music itself.
I haven't heard of Byrd yet, and this is the first piece of his that I'm hearing. I was trying to find a composer that came before Vivaldi (1678 - 1741) to see how much Vivaldi may have impacted the styles of classical music. I know he certainly did influence Mozart. You can just hear it. But this kind of music is really something different. I really like the bass from 0:13 to 0:19. And that uprising at 16:18!
Jordan Fischer Other composers older than Vivaldi that you might find interesting: J.S. Bach Johannes Ockaghem Josquin DesPrez Johan Joseph Fux And for someone who only really influenced modern composers, but comes before Vivaldi, consider Carlo Gesualdo.
to Bernardo: your question about tonality is touched on in the edition of the Essay, BBC R3, 1st March 2016, 'Byrd: Mass for Four Voices', by Stephen Johnson- available via iPlayer.
"Genitum non factum," translates to "begotten, not made" referring to Jesus Christ being begotten from the Father. This is to state that Christ was not "created" at his birth but that he came from the Father.
I love this mass and this era of the King's Singers, but the use of continuo here is slightly off-putting. This mass is to be sung a cappella, and if this recording didn't have viols in the background it would be so much better in my opinion.
The lowness of the Bass part shouldn't be underestimated, and I imagine that the Basses benefit from a little more tone from instrumental support. I personally don't even notice the continuo on a casual listen.
"We also read in the Testament, Genesis, chap. 6, verse 4, that giants were born when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men: that is the very letter of the sacred text. Now, those giants were men of great stature, says Baruch, chap. 3, verse 26, and far superior to other men. Not only were they distinguished by their huge size, but also by their physical power, their plundering habits and their tyranny. Through their criminal excesses the Giants were the primary and principal cause of the Flood, according to Cornelius a Lapide, in his Commentary on Genesis. Some contend that by Sons of God are meant the sons of Seth, and by Daughters of men the daughters of Cain, because the former practiced piety, religion and every other virtue, whilst the descendants of Cain were quite the reverse; but, with all due deference to Chrysostom, Cyrillus, Hilarius and others who are of that opinion, it must be conceded that it clashes with the obvious meaning of the text. Scripture says, in fact, that of the conjunction of the above mentioned were born men of huge bodily size: consequently, those giants were not previously in existence, and if their birth was the result of that conjunction, it cannot be ascribed to the intercourse of the sons of Seth with the daughters of Cain, who being themselves of ordinary stature, could but procreate children of ordinary stature. Therefore, if the intercourse in question gave birth to beings of huge stature, the reason is that it was not the common connection between man and woman, but the performance of Incubi Demons who, from their nature, may very well be styled sons of God. Such is the opinion of the Platonist Philosophers and of Francis Georges the Venetian; nor is it discrepant from that of Josephus the Historian, Philo the Jew, S. Justinus the Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian, who look upon Incubi as corporeal Angels who have allowed themselves to fall into the sin of lewdness with women. Indeed, as shall be shown hereafter, though seemingly distinct, those two opinions are but one and the same." - Fr. Sinistrari of Ameno, par 32, www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/54243/pg54243-images.html
Whilst the music was originally in G minor, and many editions for SATB are in F minor, the King's singers sing it in Db minor (significantly lower to allow for the Countertenors to sing the higher parts, also why the Bass part is sung particularly low in this recording).
What a beautiful strange land into which we have arrived. I look forward to having the time to listen, watch and learn about the lives we all share XXXX
Byrd was extreme in doing things only once. His three Masses are hardly an exception. A meager amount compared to the number written by other 16th century composers. All three masses have different number of voices.
Most composers of Renaissance Masses lived and worked in Catholic countries. Byrd's compositional career was affected by his Catholicism in an adamently Protestant country. These masses were written to be performed in small, private liturgies in the country where priests had to be smuggled in and hidden. Interesting trivia--although Byrd chose to leave his Eluzabeth court job and retire into the country as a religious dissenter, when he accumulated large fines for non-attendence at the state-sponsored church, Queen Elizabeth paid them for him.
It is comforting I am not alone in adoring this wonderful music. There are a few others in the world just like me! Thank you for uploading and sharing. Cheers from Australia
ditto cobber...have been for the last 1/2 century!
Cheers from Finland also!
@@sarijaatinen5569 and in Stoke-on-Trent, England.
Same too. From Nigeria!❤
Theres loads of us xx
I love ❤ W Byrd. All for the glory of our Lord Jesus of Nazareth.
❤❤❤
Recently I've noticed a few TH-cam comments about the best King's Singers recording of them all. I think this is it.
It’s quite melodious to be sure. The best?! 😮 Now that’s saying something considering the reputation of the King’s Singers.
@@benjamMin278 It's among the best, to be sure.
Byrd's house site in Lincoln, a few yards from the wonderful cathedral of that fine city, is easy to visit. It is truly astounding to stand outside and look at the cathedral he would have seen.
Baroque was gift to God, but reinassance was gift to humanity...
Those guys are fantastic. Plain and simple fantastic... if you have the chance to see/hear them live - don't miss it!
I sit down with the music to follow, hadn't even looked at it at all not had the time. And at the beginning of the Kyrie I suddenly realise that I know it! I sang it 35 years ago!! I'd forgotten all about it. I clearly also remember the bass part, I'm soprano, we were 4 here in France in the north east. Well what a surprise!
Its weird that nobody commented on the Agnus Dei. By far the most beautyfull part of the mass, i loved the end!
I also find the Agnus Dei the most beautiful part of this mass. Another fine performance of this Agnus Dei is th-cam.com/video/-kt2TpaEDV0/w-d-xo.html by four members of the "Sixteen".
Agnes Day? Yeah, I used to date her.
Especially Dona nobis pacem.
Simply GREAT! The more I heard it the more it hooks me up. A sort of singing dream.
Beautiful Performance By The King’s Singers ! 🎵
Magnifique...utterly magnifique ,eh? His mass for 5 voces is summat else as well...listen to the soaring harmonies , the delightful ins and outs of the voices , of the varying timbres...he's the biz , the divine Byrd...yes , but don't go overboard...he'll never be another Des O' Connor or even Vince Hill , but he's bluddy good , give the man his due
this is so captivating. I was going to bed, and then I found this randomly. It's a problem really - Im working early tomorrow, and I can not turn music this off
listen to it again! now!
Same
Úžasné hlasy - hrůza inspirující.
ZombiU directed my attention to this composer. His work is quite beautiful.
This gives an ominous but at the same time very noble background behind the voices and in the voices. Definitely gives me some lucid visions and flashba.....that's not the point.. but this is a great work of art!
This is what it must be like to be in heaven. Sheer bliss!
Pauline K. Except for the bit where you're dead maybe.... :)
+Jon Bradley Yeah the dying part is a little problematic...
MUSICA DIVINA
Angeles en la tierra graciasssssss
Marvellous.
These guys aren't bad. They may go places.
Yeah...perhaps...maybe; who could say?
11 months later and I haven't heard anything more from them. Seems like just another one hit wonder to me!
Haha the group is more than 40 years old and one of the most prestigious a Capella groups in the world. They've definitely gone places.
And definitely not a one hit wonder, they have a colossal repertoire.
Lol. Sorry, but I had to laugh. Do a quick TH-cam search and you can listen to dozens of their recordings of very successful concerts. I saw them in a concert earlier this year, and although they're mostly a new group now, they always keep their same spirit and style. Very kind and approachable men, too. They stayed behind after the concert to sign cds and talk to the audience. They're celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.
Who would win a rRenaissance riff-off between the King's Singers and the Tallis Scholars
Just picked up the Riemenschneider to study some chorales and heard the earl of Salisbury from a TH-cam recommendation. Some definite techniques I'd like to learn from these scores, if available.
Lovely performance by the King's Singers and most pleasant to have on the computer whilst working(!)
Question: Is their pace a tad slower than, as written or is it just the King's Singers "style"?
In answer to your question, Byrd didn't specify a tempo for his music but is generally performed at a slightly faster tempo as you has mentioned. The King's Singers will often approach pieces with fresh interpretations so the King's Singers 'style' isn't really something set in stone. I hope this answers your question!
Hi John,
MThanks for your feedback, most appreciated and it's all clear now. I never realised that the King's Singers were putting their own interpretation in their performances.
WRgds - David
If you would look/listen to Ton Koopman, you will see a rich mix of approaches to interpretation of his played and conducted works, of which a lot of J. S Bach.
I myself, am very content and happy with Ton´s Life Long work to perfect "interpretation" in any way possible.
Admitting it is subjective, one of those accacions a can live and undeline such. ;)
I almost thought they were going to sing Kyrie Eleison when it began.
Oh wait, are they?
As seen in the description, yes they are xD
You probably have realized that in the meantime but I just wanted to write it :) Please forgive me for that
hence the singing "Kyrie Eleison"?
Be careful mate, replying to a comment 1 year old is like digging a grave!
what if it is 2 years old?
Or 3 years?
I miss this King's Singers lineup.
go on bill, great tunage
DIVIN.
❤❤
WILLIAM BYRD { LONDRES ou LINCOLNSHIRE 1539/40~1623 STONDON MASSEY,ESSEX } « MASS FOR 4 VOICES « ~ THE KING’ SINGERS ~ FORMÉ EN 1968 {CAMBRIDGE} ~. Quelle merveille, de la polyphonie, voix vocales de l’ensemble THE KING, SINGERS grandiose, de cette oeuvre de WILLIAM BYRD bravo. BYRD est l’un des plus grands compositeurs anglais de la fin du XVIe siècle, et du début du XVIIe siècle. En dépit de sa fidélité à sa foi catholique, il profita de la protection de la Reine ELISABETH 1ère, fervente avocate de l’anglicanisme, pour l’impression de l’édition musicale, ce qui lui permit de superviser lui-même la publication de sa musique. Considéré comme l’un des pères de la musique de clavier il a dédié au Virginal une oeuvre pleine de charme et d’imagination, en perfectionnant notamment le genre de la danse et l’art de la variation sur des airs de danse ou des airs populaires. L’essentiel de son oeuvre est rassemblée en trois collections restées manuscrites ou publiées en Angleterre en leur temps : Parthenia, première anthologie de la musique anglaise du Virginal, offerte par BYRD à la princesse ELISABETH, fille du roi JACQUES 1er , à l’occasion de son mariage, THE FITZWILLIAM VIRGINAL BOOK, sorte de résumé de l’art de son époque, et MY LADY NEVELL’ S BOOK, recueil célèbre. Son oeuvres sacrées 3 messes, 210 Motets en Latin de 3 à 9 voix, une centaine de graduels de 3 à 6 voix. Oeuvres profanes environ 130 pièces pour Virginal dans des recueils collectifs dont 70 dans le FITZWILLIAM VIRGINAL BOOK. Merci pour ce chef-d’œuvre de WILLIAM BYRD, grands compositeurs du XVIe siècle, et du début du XVIIe siècle, qui est grandiose et éternel. Et ce moment de musique de la Renaissance, que j’ai énormément aimé sublime merci.
Which kings singers are in the recording? Is it David Hurley, Paul Phoenix, Phillip Lawson and Stephen Connolly?
Can someone more versed in this tell me if this is some transcription to a lower tonality? The trebles sound really low than they should... Or am I dreaming?
+Bernardo Tonasse i can confirm that it is a perfect 4th lower
Not uncommon to transpose a capella choral music in order to make the best sound for your oarticular group of singers.
Anyone That plays the .hack games this sounds very similar lol Great Beautiful Music
ALLES GUTE: Hu... dizhi renshi de sheng se, dao zhili, dan yitong gudai... FUHAO.....♪♪
How do I get the high notes in the bass please?
in the kyrie
Are you asking for help with vocal technique? If so, the staples always apply: reasonable amount of breath (don't "strain" by forcing too much air through, that will probably lead to cracking); relaxed jaw; raised soft palate to create more space at the back of the mouth; possibly slightly mutate the vowel sound to something "rounder" like "ah" or "oh" to help with space at the back of the mouth; sliding between notes rather than "jumping" (which creates vocal strain and neck tension), although this obviously requires practice to get the slide to be very short to sound seamless.
The Bass part has similarly high notes or even higher notes in all the other movements.
the gloreia was used for the coronation
Dona Nobis Pacem.
My Grade 9 teacher brought me here.
The only fail is that "g" is pronounced in a wrong way. They pronounce it as it were Italian. Originally, it is not /dʒ/, it is /ɡ/ in Latin.
csermenyizsombor are you sure? there seems to be a lot of dissent over this. some pronounce it /dʒ/, even people who studied Latin.
Also, they seem to pronounce the "J" as /dʒ/ too, which definitely is wrong, since it's pronounced /j/.
Obviously, you don't know anything about classical music or Church Latin. In sacred musical works, Latin is _not_ pronounced as the Romans did. The Catholic church employs an Italianate pronunciation, and has done so since the Middle Ages. Correct Latin pronunciation is found only in the fields of Classical studies and linguistics. And if the pronunciation of the "g" sound was the only thing you noticed, you were not listening very carefully. Even more distinct from real Latin is the pronunciation of the letter "c", which was always given a "k" sound by the Romans themselves, but in liturgical music and Catholic services is pronounced either as an "s" or as a "ch" (as in church).
Traditionally, we pronounce Latin in the way it could have been done in the area where the composer can be originated from. (That is the way we learn it to do here in Hungary, and maybe it is the most authentic approach).
This piece of music was performed by consummate professionals. You can be assured that the pronunciation employed is historically accurate; i.e. it is the pronunciation that the composer intended.
It might be more helpful to think of several parallel -- and equally correct -- pronunciation systems for Latin, each with variations over time. I believe that the invariably hard "c" and "g" of Augustan Classical Latin had already begun to soften before front vowels by late imperial times.
I seem to remember that the Roman Church didn't impose the Italianate pronunciation of Latin on all its branches until relatively recently -- beginning of twentieth century maybe? -- and until then non-Italian Catholics would've used their own national pronunciations of Latin. (As, indeed, Italian Catholics still do.) So, no reason to treat the Ordinary of the Mass as set by Byrd as either Cicero or Dante.
I agree with DieFlabbergast that the King's Singers can be trusted to have done their research, and I was fascinated by their pronunciations in this recording. All "c"s and "sc"s before front vowels (incl œ) sound as "s," "j" is a consonant, and the "g" and "n" in "agnus" are separate -- all presumably indicating sixteenth century English pronunciation of Latin, and all identifiable in current English pronunciations: centurion, descend, cœliac, jubilee, magnum.
420 blaze it
Byrd for prez
We sang it quite a bit slower cuz of the dumb freshmen couldn't keep the quality of perfection with a fast tempo
Yes it did look us up on cmhseh
Haha Ik I was a freshman b4 as well
The time when being a catholic cost your life!
despite the beautiful composition and extremely well sung in most respects performance, it's really difficult to keep listening to all the 'passem's and 'arggnus dei's. The correct pronunciation is 'pah-tchem' and ahn-yus.' Get it right. (The other type is either just unlearned or trying-to-be-fashionable or some other b.s.)
+mrnnhnz English pronunciation of that time, as researched by scholars of English. Be careful who you call out or insult by saying it is b.s./trying to be fashionable. I sang with someone who was studying English of this period and I remember how much of a shock it came to our choir when she told us about "passem", etc.
Obviously, you don't know anything about classical music or Church Latin. In sacred musical works, Latin is not pronounced as the Romans did. The Catholic church employs an Italianate pronunciation, and has done so since the Middle Ages. Correct Latin pronunciation is found only in the fields of Classical studies and linguistics. The pronunciation of the letter "c" was always given a "k" sound by the Romans themselves, but in liturgical music and Catholic services is pronounced either as an "s" or as a "ch" (as in church).
The standard pronunciation of the letter "c" in "pacem" and similar words is not "s" but "ch," in the Italian manner. This is in line with the standard pronunciation of Latin "c's" when speaking in English, such as the well-known pronunciation of "pace" in "Requiescat in Pace" as "pa_ch_e" as opposed to the historically correct "Pa_k_e."
One of my friends did a massive dissertation on this anglicised pronunciation for her English degree - I spent years singing opposite her in a church choir in England, singing plenty of Latin which, incidentally I have been doing since the age of ten. I have a degree of good standing in classical music, thank you, from a very reputable British university and lots of experience in singing and playing early, Renaissance and Baroque music. So I say again, be careful who you call out as ignorant or then go on to full-on insult. If you go anywhere around the world, you will also find differing thoughts on pronunciation of church Latin, according to vernacular and period performances. Not all colours are the same, though they may come from the same source ...
After hearing numerous interpretations of "correct" vowels and consonances in this genre and comparing those with the way that I was taught I do conclude the following: 1) I have a personal preference 2) often others are faithful to practice and choose some other preference 3) The most important constant regardless of preference is that all singers in a given performance MUST do the same thing, the same way, at the same time,ie, use the same vowel color/shape/duration and the same consonance (crisp/percussive vs restrained/muted vs somewhere in between). What is correct? When all singers agree to disagree with regard to syntax IN THEORY and then lay aside their personal preference so that uniformity is preserved IN THE PERFORMANCE thereby achieving UNITY IN SPIRIT. It should never be about you or me but always about the music. That said, I know what sounds good and right and true to my ear and am always ready to honor another's preference (unless it is sorely lacking; the details must be sorted out ahead of the performance by kind and gracious interplay.
Back in the days of music on cassette tapes, I found this work of beauty , on a market stall, in a second hand tape. It was like finding treasure ! Thank you for sharing it here today. Mike
This is one of the most sublimely beautiful pieces of music ever written.
DieFlabbergast you have never listened to Tupac then
How right you are: I don't even know who he or she is; but I can guess.
yes it is sublime. I lost my CD of this 25 years ago. Was wonderful to rediscover it here. When I was younger I played this too loudly. Years later I bumped into an elderly woman who by chance who was my neighbor back at that time. She said: "Oh! You must be the boy that played the beautiful music. What was it? It has haunted me ever since and I must hear it again!"
Strangely enough also one of the first! (actually written down).... I agree
Particularly the Agnus Dei
I am thinking about my silent generation parents, who gave us the gift of life late in their lives. They also gave us the gift of music early in our lives. They had us sing, play piano, strings and woodwinds in our house to entertain guests during Christmas. Now there’s no music in the house. But this William Byrd compilation is thankfully bringing me back to my beloved childhood with the music we experienced.
This piece is very good...starts off well , the Credo is merveilleux an I only wish I had better sound system in order to hear this consummate musical creative...he is the bee's knees
You are so right! We live in such a loud world. Addicted to sensations, screams, superficialities. We have all become consumation- junkies. What a misguided bunch of lunatics humanity has become. Listening to music like this has a detox-effect on my soul from all the insanity. Humanity is mad!
So nice to listen to. I am also listening as I remember my father, a lifelong lover of classical music.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world , have mercy on us.
Bass at 00:13 - 00:19 ... Perfection.
Ekin Gören So true. Especially for us bass singers who don't always get the most 'fun' part in a choir song. I just wish we sang more songs like this in choir, instead of all the pop-y stuff. Not saying it's bad, just that a little variety wouldn't hurt every now and again.
Seinir Duron Pop music was not written for a choral arrangement. It is not bad, but a choir can sound so much better singing choral music IMHO.
+Seinir Duron Crazy bill rocks the house
How do people sing like this??
Everything at 0:00 - 23:17 ... Perfection
I have sung this mass many times. Byrd is my favorite composer and this is my favorite piece of his. This is a positively glorious performance of this work composed for the glory of God.
Quel joli cantique, délicat, receuilli et nous apportant joie et sérénité ! Vive la musique polyphonique pré baroque !
The rendition of 'Jesu Christe' that comes again and again and again towards 4 minutes 03:40 is quite incredible.
What is so good is this recording is authentic with all male voices. As I am Catholic and go to the Traditional Mass offered by the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter I hear this and worship as Byrd did.
Very moving. There's a very refined sense of innocence to the gloria! Incredible 4 part writing, and what a great recording!
+kungfuridinghood refined sense of innocence is a apt description. Your phrase opened my understanding of this beautiful music.
Wonderful! I didn't know Kings Singers are as good as the Hilliard Ensemble.
And William Byrd is simply one of the best and also somewhat neglected composer of the High Renaissance
um... no. Byrd is one of the most popular composers of the Elizabethan renaissance, and his works are found in the repetoire of church choirs around the world. YES he is fantastically great, but NO, he is not neglected.
Such sublime music smoothes the long and rocky pathway to better belief and spiritual understanding.
These men are simply magnificent. I've listened since I was a teen and have loved their musicality ever since.
02:42 - Interesting! Free citation from Palestrina's Gloria in missa papae marcelli.
Thank God for the genius of this music and the reason to write it. Amen! xxx
First time listening to Byrd - blown away so far
Byrd is my favorite Renaissance-era composer. You might also enjoy: th-cam.com/video/i4bYFGVqSr4/w-d-xo.html
If you sleep in, tell the boss to blame Byrd for writing such captivating music!
Been coming back to this for years. Still good as ever.
Having studied all 3 of Byrd's masses (3,4 & 5 voices) & having performed the 5 voice in choir, I can say that this music is highly satisfying to sing. Even though the Catholic liturgy since Vatican II has been in the local language of the individual parish, this music stands by itself exclusive of the mass.
Marten King The FSSPX (Pius X) still does "old fashioned" Tridentine masses, entirely sung and entirely in Latin, complete with this music. On their site you can find out where they have their churches. A beautiful, profound and uplifting experience. And the choir always needs good people!
+carolineleiden bmp
+carolineleiden and what a great great shame that the Church has parked all this beauty and grandeur.
The Church has not "parked" it -- it's still available, by request if you must. +carolineleiden mixed up two separate acronyms -- FSSP is the Fraternity of St. Peter (www.fssp.org/en/presentation.htm), fully in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and obeys the Magisterium. The FSSP says the Tridentine Mass, with full permission of the Holy See and the local bishop. If you want them to come to your diocese, just ask your bishop. But you can also just ask for the Tridentine Mass even without the FSSP fathers, as some parishes in my diocese have done.
It's important to note facts about the SSPX (the Society of St. Pius X that +carolineleiden mentioned in her mixed up acronym): First, they look Catholic, the sound Catholic, and they even smell Catholic, but they refuse to obey the Magisterium, thereby placing themselves outside the Church. Second, and crucial for Catholics who wish to remain in good standing with the Church and receive valid Sacraments, the Church has stated that the SSPX does NOT offer valid Sacraments, except for Reconciliation, because they do not have permission to celebrate the Mass or consecrate the Eucharistic Host. Even the devils know that without the permission of the local bishop, they don't have to obey an exorcist! How much more precious is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Consecrated Host! As the Gospels make clear, Jesus gave all authority to the Church through St. Peter and the Apostles by making them all bishops, with St. Peter as their leader -- the chairman, if you will. Anyone who acts outside the authority of the direct Apostolic lineage has no authority whatsoever. The SSPX take umbrage with the new form of the Mass, but they perform nothing more than a play, going through the motions of the Mass without anything supernatural taking place -- no transubstantiation occurs, so Christ is not present in their communion bread. I've heard that their priests try to get around this by tricking validly consecrated bishops to ordain and consecrate them, but if they sought seminary training with subterfuge in mind, then the consecration might not be valid (as when someone makes marriage vows without intending to abide by them, it invalidates the marriage). In any case, without permission from the local bishop in communion with Rome, there is no valid Sacrament. A Catholic may put their soul in grave danger if they knowingly participate in an SSPX mimicry of the Holy Mass. That's why people should be aware of what SSPX really is.
+carolineleiden you mixed up your acronyms in this comment -- FSSP celebrates the Tridentine Missa with full approval of the Holy See and with the permission of the local bishop.
The SSPX (Society of St. Pius X) are rebellious and have excommunicated themselves from the Church by refusing to recognize the authority of the Magisterium.
My partner and I sing this mass regularly at.home. There is little more uplifting. The Kyrie and Agnus Dei are beyond beautiful.
oh wow!
Brilliant
I remember the original King's Singers . Sublime then , and still sublime!
How is it that their voices sound so much like a string quartet?? Are they being doubled by instruments?
Mark King It looks like they've been joined by a group called Concordia - www.kingssingers.com/products/1605-treason-and-dischord/
Mark King Just clear, resonant tone :) And matching vowel sounds
Zach Harston And the instruments stealthily playing with them.
erickrarick there is no instruments, the listed orchestra you shared is for the other works - but a wonderful pure rendition nonetheless
Bagend123 Some of it likely is a cappella, but there is definitely instrumental support in some places as well - and so well blended that it is easy to miss it. But, I will direct you to the 'Et resurrexit' entrance in the Credo: 11:46 The Bass line is clearly augmented, by a Cello I assume. Listen with an extremely critical ear, and you will start to hear that texture come through in other places.
Don't get me wrong, I think it is fantastic and now my favorite recording of this piece. Masterfully blended.
Love this song, particularly that tenor part on 5:30-5:53 and the alto coming in afterwards. Their harmonization is just sublime.
love your username!
O man Thanks! :)
Mathias from Brazil! I thank you for disposable this beautiful song! My grand father fight in that second war! And he love this kind of music and I like it too! Thanks!
The bass from 0:13 to 0:19 keeps messing with my brain because I keep thinking at 0:19 he’s going to hit a low note but he doesn’t which always gets me.
Perfect human voices...
the human voice expressing , doesnt get any better :-)
The King’s Singers
At Their Very Best 🎵
the correct side of youtube
12:05 - 12:25 is perfect
The most beautiful! Thanks for who show this to the world. If he think a platform like this he will be a king. Greetings from Brazil!
Musica divina perfino per noi atei! :) GRAZIE!
⁰00⁰⁰00⁰000
utterly beautiful
Thanks guys all! Just waking up right now and thinking of having my first cup of tea!
Thinking it's sublime but having no idea what they're singing.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrie
@@HoldenJulian Thanks a lot!
"sublime" = noble and majestic (高贵/俨)
The majesty and beauty of vocal music does not depend mainly on the meaning of the lyrics, but on the music itself.
I haven't heard of Byrd yet, and this is the first piece of his that I'm hearing. I was trying to find a composer that came before Vivaldi (1678 - 1741) to see how much Vivaldi may have impacted the styles of classical music. I know he certainly did influence Mozart. You can just hear it. But this kind of music is really something different. I really like the bass from 0:13 to 0:19. And that uprising at 16:18!
Jordan Fischer Other composers older than Vivaldi that you might find interesting:
J.S. Bach
Johannes Ockaghem
Josquin DesPrez
Johan Joseph Fux
And for someone who only really influenced modern composers, but comes before Vivaldi, consider Carlo Gesualdo.
+Jordan Fischer
I don't know what work, I do know Mozart hand copied a work by Byrd
Orlando Gibbons.
+KK Icons I believe it may have been Allegri's Miserere that Mozart is said to have written out from memory as a child
+KK Icons I believe it may have been Allegri's Miserere that Mozart is said to have written out from memory as a child
Gracias 💫💖
obsessed with the King's Singers. saw them in '87, Boston. hurrah!
Wish I had such talent, love listening to you all. Glad to be an inspiration!
to Bernardo:
your question about tonality is touched on in the edition of the Essay, BBC R3, 1st March 2016, 'Byrd: Mass for Four Voices', by Stephen Johnson- available via iPlayer.
wonderffullll
Music that elevates the soul, simply magnificent and beautiful.
It is one of my favorite songs from my young student.
Me Likes Muchly
9:23 "Genitals on fire"
How delightful!
I guess some "people" only think and feel with those...
"Genitum non factum," translates to "begotten, not made" referring to Jesus Christ being begotten from the Father. This is to state that Christ was not "created" at his birth but that he came from the Father.
Jajajajajajaj oohh mai gaaaa
Fits perfectly your profil pic
Ooo! Seamless polophony....ooh lovely!
I love this mass and this era of the King's Singers, but the use of continuo here is slightly off-putting. This mass is to be sung a cappella, and if this recording didn't have viols in the background it would be so much better in my opinion.
William Byrd I suppose you’re an authority on the subject William
A cappella means, they had a bass instrument, mostly a serpent. They did it because of intonation.
The lowness of the Bass part shouldn't be underestimated, and I imagine that the Basses benefit from a little more tone from instrumental support. I personally don't even notice the continuo on a casual listen.
William Byrd, es genio trascendental de la música toda !
Se gli angeli cantano ,cantano questo
Heavenly
"We also read in the Testament, Genesis, chap. 6, verse 4, that giants were born when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men: that is the very letter of the sacred text. Now, those giants were men of great stature, says Baruch, chap. 3, verse 26, and far superior to other men. Not only were they distinguished by their huge size, but also by their physical power, their plundering habits and their tyranny. Through their criminal excesses the Giants were the primary and principal cause of the Flood, according to Cornelius a Lapide, in his Commentary on Genesis. Some contend that by Sons of God are meant the sons of Seth, and by Daughters of men the daughters of Cain, because the former practiced piety, religion and every other virtue, whilst the descendants of Cain were quite the reverse; but, with all due deference to Chrysostom, Cyrillus, Hilarius and others who are of that opinion, it must be conceded that it clashes with the obvious meaning of the text. Scripture says, in fact, that of the conjunction of the above mentioned were born men of huge bodily size: consequently, those giants were not previously in existence, and if their birth was the result of that conjunction, it cannot be ascribed to the intercourse of the sons of Seth with the daughters of Cain, who being themselves of ordinary stature, could but procreate children of ordinary stature. Therefore, if the intercourse in question gave birth to beings of huge stature, the reason is that it was not the common connection between man and woman, but the performance of Incubi Demons who, from their nature, may very well be styled sons of God. Such is the opinion of the Platonist Philosophers and of Francis Georges the Venetian; nor is it discrepant from that of Josephus the Historian, Philo the Jew, S. Justinus the Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian, who look upon Incubi as corporeal Angels who have allowed themselves to fall into the sin of lewdness with women. Indeed, as shall be shown hereafter, though seemingly distinct, those two opinions are but one and the same." - Fr. Sinistrari of Ameno, par 32, www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/54243/pg54243-images.html
I was astonished to find out I am related to William Byrd. Music runs in my family, but I’ve never realized where it came from. Now I know!
I'm related to Mendelssohn! And had an orchestra buddy who was related to Kreisler! There should be a club for relatives of great composers!
Your ancestor was a great musician...❤️
Just beautiful. Goes deep into my soul.
Это потрясающе👏👏👏❤️
Please guys can someone tell me in which tone this version is ? Would be really appreciate :)
Whilst the music was originally in G minor, and many editions for SATB are in F minor, the King's singers sing it in Db minor (significantly lower to allow for the Countertenors to sing the higher parts, also why the Bass part is sung particularly low in this recording).
Church!
What a beautiful strange land into which we have arrived. I look forward to having the time to listen, watch and learn about the lives we all share XXXX
Have you ever lived in Freiburg, Germany?
All these texts are part of the old Latin mass set to polyphony.
God is in music like this. Our glimpse of his glorious love. No words can bring us nearer.
I truly believe God is in this music. Who but He could give us such glory?
@@catwoman-vr8ybum talented musicians?
Byrd was extreme in doing things only once. His three Masses are hardly an exception. A meager amount compared to the number written by other 16th century composers. All three masses have different number of voices.
Most composers of Renaissance Masses lived and worked in Catholic countries. Byrd's compositional career was affected by his Catholicism in an adamently Protestant country. These masses were written to be performed in small, private liturgies in the country where priests had to be smuggled in and hidden. Interesting trivia--although Byrd chose to leave his Eluzabeth court job and retire into the country as a religious dissenter, when he accumulated large fines for non-attendence at the state-sponsored church, Queen Elizabeth paid them for him.