The Hilliard Ensemble: Byrd – Masses for 3, 4, 5 Voices, Ave verum (APE)

Composer: William Byrd
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Capitol
Size: 270 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

01 “Mass for 4 voices; I. Kyrie”
02 “Mass for 4 voices; II. Gloria”
03 “Mass for 4 voices; III. Credo”
04 “Mass for 4 voices; IV. Sanctus – Benedictus”
05 “Mass for 4 voices; V. Agnus Dei”
06 “Mass for 3 voices; I. Kyrie”
07 “Mass for 3 voices; II. Gloria”
08 “Mass for 3 voices; III. Credo”
09 “Mass for 3 voices; IV. Sanctus – Benedictus”
10 “Mass for 3 voices; V. Agnus Dei”
11 “Mass for 5 voices; I. Kyrie”
12 “Mass for 5 voices; II. Gloria”
13 “Mass for 5 voices; III. Credo”
14 “Mass for 5 voices; IV. Sanctus – Benedictus”
15 “Mass for 5 voices; V. Agnus Dei”
16 “Ave verum corpus a 4”

Exquisite, yes, but not cold … this is angelic beauty!

This 1983 recording is one of the highlights of the whole Hilliard discography, brilliant in every respect. Although there is a certain background noise from the tapes, the sound is still superb, with each of the soloists stepping right into the room, so to speak, but without the blend of voices ever suffering. Byrd’s Masses can be performed at original pitch using female voices for the upper parts, but on the basis of historical research Paul Hillier decided to transpose the music down and perform it with all-male voices (with the exception of the Mass for Five Voices, where the Hilliards are unusually joined by the boyish-sounding Gillian Fisher as soprano. Perhaps it is David James’ countertenor timbre which might mislead someone to think the performance ‘cold’, but once one has got used to this rather ‘reedy’ high male voice, one begins to notice in fact how ardently, how spiritually these singers perform. The music is allowed its full scope, flowing gently but inexorably from mass movement to movement, each phrase lovelier than the last. This is singing of angelic beauty, worthy of both the highest praise and the warmest of recommendations.

As a footnote I should add that Byrd’s Masses are also available in an excellent choral performance by top British choir The Sixteen, directed by Harry Christophers (on Virgin Veritas). The choral version sounds rather different, but both performances are absolutely wonderful in their way, and I would strongly recommend all English Late Renaissance fans to get hold of both recordings if possible.