Gramophone Magazine
June 2023
Editor's Choice

Jacob Heringman (lute), Lynda Sayce, Clare Wilkinson (contralto), Fretwork (early music ensemble), Martha McLorinan
Alamire, Fretwork, David Skinner

Byrd: Lord in thy rage
Byrd: Right blest are they
Byrd: Lord in thy wrath
Byrd: O God which art most merciful
Byrd: Lord hear my prayer
Byrd: From depth of sin
Byrd: Attend Mine Humble Prayer
Byrd: Susanna fair
Byrd: The nightingale so pleasant
Byrd: When younglings first on Cupid
Byrd: Upon a summer's day
Byrd: The greedy hawk
Byrd: Is love a boy?
Byrd: Wounded I am
Byrd: From Citheron the warlike boy
Byrd: O Lord my God
Byrd: While that the sun
Byrd: Weeping full sore
Byrd: Penelope that longed
Byrd: Compel the hawk
Byrd: See those sweet eyes
Byrd: When I was otherwise
Byrd: When first by force
Byrd: I Thought That Love Had Been A Boy
Byrd: O dear life, when may it be
Byrd: From virgin's womb this day did spring
Byrd: Of gold all burnished
Byrd: Behold how good a thing
Byrd: An earthly tree
Byrd: Who made thee Hob forsake the plough?
Byrd: And think ye nymphs
Byrd: If in thine heart
Byrd: Unto the hills mine eyes I lift
Byrd: Christ rising again from the dead

Following the critically acclaimed album of Byrd’s 1589 collection, Alamire returns with the completion of their survey of the early song collections with the 1589 Collection, in this, the composer’s 400th anniversary year. • Alamire is joined by viol consort Fretwork and director David Skinner. • Byrd’s first song collection was published in 1588. In following year he writes that he had ‘bene encouraged thereby, to take further paines therein, and to make the pertaker thereof, because I would shew my selfe gratefull to thee for thy loue, and desirous to delight thee with varietie, whereof (in my opinion) no Science is more plentifully adorned then Musicke.’ This 1589 collection, therefore, offers songs of 3, 4, 5 and 6 parts, ‘to serue for all companies and voyces: whereof some are easie and plaine to sing, [while] other more hard and dificult.’ • Byrd clearly sought to be as inclusive as possible for all musicians, amateur and professional. With the 1589 collection, Byrd’s complete early song collections are now committed to recording. Together they provide a variety themes and textures, as well as vocal and instrumental combinations, demonstrating the richness of Elizabethan courtly music.

"The ensemble-singing here is first-rate and gets better as the set progresses...the second disc is a string of bullseyes, poised, assured and habitually immaculate." - Gramophone Magazine, June 2023.