William Byrd: A 400th Anniversary Celebration

The Englishman William Byrd (c.1540-1623) was one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance, who wrote music for voices and instruments in a wide variety of genres. His choral music for the Anglican church is particularly celebrated for its unusual beauty and significance. Our Columbus-based Fior Angelico joins choral ensembles worldwide in celebrating the 400th anniversary of the composer’s death. Their all-Byrd program will include portions of the composer’s Great Service, the last of four sets of canticles composed for services in the Anglican liturgy. The BBC writes that this elaborate work “stands alongside the best English sacred music of Purcell as the finest in the history of the Church of England.”