Composer: Thomas Weelkes, William Byrd, Roderick Williams, James MacMillan
Performer: King’s Singers, Fretwork
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Signum
Catalogue: SIGCD731
Release: 2023
Size: 1.21 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Byrd: Praise Our Lord All Ye Gentiles
02. Byrd: If Women Could Be Fair
03. Weelkes: Say Dear, When Will Your Frowning Leave
04. Weelkes: Like Two Proud Armies
05. Weelkes: Pavan No. 3
06. Weelkes: Thule, The Period of Cosmography
07. Weelkes: What Joy So True
08. Weelkes: In Nomine A4
09. Byrd: Ye Sacred Muses (1)
10. MacMillan: Ye Sacred Muses (2)
11. Weelkes: In Nomine A5 (1)
12. Weelkes: Hark, All Ye Lovely Saints
13. Weelkes: Death Hath Deprived Me
14. Williams: Death Be Not Proud
15. Weelkes: In Nomine A5 (2)
16. Byrd: Who Made Thee Hob?
17. Byrd: This Sweet and Merry Month of May
18. Byrd: Browning (The Leaves Be Green)
19. Byrd: Alack, When I Look Back
20. Byrd: O Lord Make Thy Servant Elizabeth
400 years ago, in 1623, England lost two of it’s greatest composers: William Byrd and Thomas Weelkes. In a program marking this double anniversary, The King’s Singers and Fretwork turn their focus to the bold personalities of these two men, Will and Tom. Featuring well-known gems by the two composers, alongside works which had never been recorded before and which are rarely heard live, Tom and Will unlocks some of the humanity behind these two giants of Elizabethan music. Presented in The King’s Singers’ unique style, this program is filled with beauty, drama and storytelling. As part of this project, The King’s Singers and Fretwork have commissioned two new works for their joint forces, by two of Britain’s great living composers: Sir James MacMillan and Roderick Williams. These works only feature in the version performed by The King’s Singers and Fretwork, but represent a commitment to keeping the spirit of Byrd and Weelkes alive in today’s musical landscape.