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Rejoice unto the Lord
Ah silly soul
An aged dame
O dearlife, when may it be
Come to me, grief,for ever
Who likes to love
O that mostrare breast
All as a sea
Ye sacred Muses
Constant Penelope
O God that guides the cheerful sun
Lullaby ‘My sweet little baby’
How vain the toils

Here is a ?ne recording to draw the listener into the richly layered world of Queen Elizabeth I.William Byrd’s ‘consort songs’ tell of courtly love; Sir Philip Sidney’s demise in battle becomes an eloquent lament; an old woman tumbling down amid a ?urry of human skulls represents contemporary desires forfreedom of speech; moral temptations are likened to a storm-tossed ship; and a hymn to the Muses is inspired by the death of Thomas Tallis

The longest single piece here is Byrd’s famous Lullaby ‘My sweet little baby’, one of the most popular of his works during the composer’s lifetime, and one which has been a deserving favourite ever since.

Despite Byrd’s domestic-musician-?attering preface in which he claimed these works were designed to persuade ‘everyone to learn how to sing’, this music makes the highest vocal demands: demands far exceeded in the glorious singing ofRobin Blaze

‘Blessed with a most alluring countertenor creamy in tone, naturally expressive, exquisitely controlled Blaze is the perfect singerfor Byrd’s consort songs…Blaze delivers with a re?nement any great lieder singer would be hard pushed to exceed’ (The Sunday Times)

‘Blaze is on superb form in this recording, his clear, unpretentious sound an ideal partnerfor Concordia…very satisfying it is too.Any chance of more of the same, Hyperion?’ (InternationalRecordReview)

‘Blaze continues to chart new territories of vocal expression. Blending purity with con?dence, he draws on his vocal strengths effortlessly sustained legato, delicate pianissimos, crisp declamation to starkly varied effect, depending on the context of each song…in this marriage of technical mastery and instinctive understanding, Byrd’s complex psychology stands revealed’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘These songs are pure heaven: melancholic and moody, sweet and sad, Blaze supported by the excellent viol consort Concordia (with Elizabeth Kenny providing lute accompaniment) captures their heart with deceptive ease.Alovely release’ (The Independent)

‘Exquisite singing from Robin Blaze reveals the sophistication of Byrd’s way with words and music, backed by Concordia’s irresistibly stylish playing’ (Classic FM Magazine)

‘These sensitive performances do full justice to a beautiful and largely little known repertoire’ (Goldberg Early Music Magazine)

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Dawniej CDA 67397