Fretwork

“Never such a bird” - this admiring homage to the ageing composer applies equally to this spellbinding recording. In his consort songs, Byrd successfully dignified the vogue for canzonet-style writing by combining it with the complex polyphony of the chanson and native English enthusiasm for the viol. Here, in outstanding performances by Emma Kirkby and Fretwork, is an excellent representation of not only Byrd’s aesthetic vision for the genre he virtually invented, but also its stylistic variety.

No soprano is better suited to realising Byrd’s ambitions than Kirkby. Her crystalline tone keeps her line distinct, regardless of the range or instrumental combination in which it appears. Her performances are guided above all by the lyrics, which determine the music’s emotional character, and Kirkby highlights the poetry of the texts through her crisp diction and sincerity. The dynamic range of Fretwork is stunning, its tone vibrantly rich and its careful paragraphing and sensitive response to the lyrics bringing these songs to life. The venue’s accoustic, excellently recorded, enhances the warmth and bloom of the ensemble. The imaginative programming shows Byrd’s breadth, ranging from devotional to bawdy, and avoids predictable choices in favour of unrecorded jewels. Of the the two other discs devoted to Byrd’s consort songs, only Robin Blaze’s rivals this one; in Phantasm’s recording the vibrato of the singer obtrutes upon the text. This recording is a benchmark for composer and performers alike.

Performance: *****

Sound: *****

Berta Joncus, BBC Music Magazine, April 2005

These songs, beautifully sung by Emma Kirkby, are pools of serenity in the hands of these players, so rich in timbre, so steeped in tradition.

Strings, May 2005

Ms. Kirkby has been an exceptionally eloquent interpreter of Elizabethan song since the mid 1970s, and…. her readings are so agile and communicative that it is hard to imagine this music more persuasively sung. Fretwork is in fine form as well, both in its accompaniments and in several instrumental works.

Allan Kozinn - The New York Times Feb 20th, 2005

“…dans les joyaux de spiritualité désenchantée que sont O Lord how vain et The noble Queen, “tombeau” sur la mort de Marie Stuart où Byrd est guidé par la plus haut inspiration, Emma Kirkby touch au sublime, portée par la force du sentiment intérieur. Les violes de Fretwork, en grande forme, lui offrent un écrin superbe, outre un précieux bouquet de Fantaisies, Pavane et Gaillarde en intermèdes.

Roger Tellart. Diapason, Avril 2005. Five tuning forks

This is a well-filled, superbly played and recorded disc of William Byrd’s enchanting Consort Songs, written for solo voice and strings. Early music icon Emma Kirkby is the expert soprano soloist in a dozen songs, ranging from underground tributes to Elizabeth I’s doomed rival, Mary, Queen of Scots, to the religiously inspired “O Lord, how vain,” to the comic. Two favorites among the latter are sure to be: “Content is rich,” whose text explores the age-old phenomenon that no one’s ever satisfied with their lot in life, and “My mistress had a little dog,” whose last stanza parodies the pomp of a “royal trial.” Kirkby excels in these, shading her voice and projecting the text with deadpan humor. But then, she’s in fine form for the others too. Monotony is avoided the range of Byrd’s music and by the crack viol ensemble Fretwork, which skillfully plays the often elaborate song accompaniments and offers five instrumental tracks of Byrd’s consort music, delivered with panache.

Dan Davis: Amazon.com

“What’s most amazing, though, is how easily the melodies can entrance us even now. Byrd had a real melodic gift, and it still shines; his work, unlike a lot of early music, is instantly captivating. Kirkby has a high, even, controlled voice and phrases the songs with uncomplicated beauty. The string sextet Fretwork accompanies her energetically, emphasizing the songs’ shifting rhythms.”

Buffalo News, April 2005. FOUR STARS - Excellent