The Little Party

This new transcription of Byrd's Masses for three, four and five voices respectively has been prepared mainly to meet the demand for a practical choir edition. Although these masterpieces of Tudor polyphony have long been familiar through earlier transcriptions by Rimbault, Rockstro, Barclay Squire, Terry and Fellowes a few textural uncesrtainties have persisted. I have therefore used the occasion to make a definitive score by reference to the set of original part-books in the British Museum. Thus for the first time in a separate publication of these works any editorial suggestions are readily distinguishable from the original text. Byrd's own accidentals are printed in the normal position, i. e. to the left of the note affected while other accidentals, added for whatever reason, appear in small type above the note. A system of regular barring has been applied having regard to the fact that the training and equipment of the present-day choral singer bear little relation to those of his sixteenth-century counterpart. Experience has shown that any visual advantage to the rhythmic flow derived from irregular barring is diminished in practice by difficulties of counting and place-finding.

Lista utworów:
Mass For Four Voices (Byrd Williams)