William Byrd (jan 1, 1543 – jan 1, 1623)
Description:
Like Thomas Tallis, Byrd was a Catholic composer for the Church of England composer. In 1563, he became the choirmaster and organist for the Lincoln Cathedral. In 1572, he achieved the prestigious position of a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. The Puritans did not appreciate his especially elaborate polyphony, viewing it as a distraction from God. They also didn’t appreciate the Catholic air and content of some of his compositions. He has a quite distinctive style of energetic polyphony.Added to timeline:
Date:
jan 1, 1543
jan 1, 1623
~ 80 years