William Byrd - Propers for Lady Mass from Christmas to the Purification (2/2).

IV. TRACTUS: Gaude Maria. V. OFFERTORIUM: Felix Namque Es. VI. COMMUNIO: Beata Viscera. The Cardinall's Musick. Andrew Carwood, chorus master. ______________________________ Along with Thomas Tallis, William Byrd (AD 1539/1540? - 1623) is certainly the most famous representative of British Renaissance Music. His production is largely for solo Choir, althought he also composed viol-Consort and solo keyboard Works, and one of the most interesting part of his 'Opera Omnia' is certainly formed by the two books of Catholic Propers for the Mass. The first of these volumes was published in 1605, dedicated to Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton and ardent Catholic, then two years later the second volume make his first apparition. In this huge cycle of Vocal Works the English Composer setted all the Proper Parts of Catholic Mass for each of the Main Festivities, althought at the epoch of Elizabeth I and James I public Catholic Solemn Liturgies were formally banned. So, with all the probabilities, such imposing Liturgical Cycles were destined to private performances and Liturgies. The here-present 5-voiced (SATBarB) "Propers for Lady Mass from Christmas to the Feast of The Purification" are taken from the first book of Propers (or 'Gradualia'). They had been written in order to be sung in the time range between 25 December, the Christmas Day, and 2 February, the Day of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary: according to the Jewish Religious Laws a Woman still Impure for fourty days after Childbirth and computing 40 days after the 25 December we obtain the 2 February as the day of Mary's definitive Purification. The peculiarity of the Proper Cycle for this period is that it must include both the Hallelujah and the Tractus: in fact, the first one is sung before the Sunday of Septuagesima, from this Day until the End of The Lent the Tractus take its place. Falling the date of Septuagesima about seventeen days before Easter Sunday, in the calendar it could take place between the 18 of January and the 22 of February.