William Byrd: A Guide to Research (2nd edition)

Citation

Taylor, P. (2009), "William Byrd: A Guide to Research (2nd edition)", Library Review, Vol. 58 No. 5, pp. 391-392. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530910961837

The past twenty years have witnessed a marked increase in the quantity and scope of published scholarship devoted to early music, and the English composer William Byrd (1540‐1623) has benefited more than most. Several key developments in historical knowledge and musical interpretation have pushed forward our understanding of Byrd's life and works, and the composer's significance in the context of late Elizabethan and Jacobean culture. The second edition of William Byrd: A Guide to Research is most welcome, therefore, as a completely revised and expanded version of the first edition, published in 1987 by Garland. Richard Turbet is well qualified to record and interpret the progress that has been made in the intervening period, particularly through his experience as founding editor of the periodical discussed in chapter five, the Annual Byrd Newsletter.

It is fair to say that the diverse means by which musicological work is disseminated do not always produce the most accessible and amenable of resources, particularly for those new to the discipline. One of the main strengths of this volume lies in offering a gateway into serious study of Byrd and his music for undergraduate music students, and for established humanities scholars from related fields, by presenting a detailed and cogent picture of existing research. In addition, the guide equips more established researchers with a compendium of unique reference material in a single volume. Scholars of Renaissance music wishing to track down a particular archival reference or recording are provided with a one‐stop‐shop with which to begin their search. As readers will soon realise, the amount of bibliographical detective work involved in compiling this resource represents a not inconsiderable achievement.

Five core chapters comprise, respectively, a catalogue of Byrd's works; a summary of literature published since 1987; an annotated bibliography; a discography of relevant recordings and an introduction and index to the aforementioned Annual Byrd Newsletter. Since readers are more likely to dip into sections of the guide than pursue it from cover to cover, it is sensible to adopt the same approach here. Perhaps, most immediately useful for students new to Byrd studies is the third chapter, “Classified Annotated Bibliography”, which divides the most relevant literature into constituent subject areas. As well as sections covering the composer's output, such as “Sacred vocal music” and “Keyboard music”, the coverage extends to several relevant historical topics, including “Biography and family history” and “Byrd since the seventeenth century”. The critical précis accompanying these references provide a valuable overview of the major work in the discipline, summarising the content and conclusions of each item and explaining any supportive or contradictory relationships.

Chapter two (“Byrd Literature”) is similarly informative, comprising an introductory survey of recent contributions to the field followed by a complete chronological list of all published scholarship devoted to Byrd and his music since 1826. The latter is of particular value given that many of these entries pertain to obscure or obsolete periodicals that could otherwise prove difficult to track down. The opening notes provide insight into the most significant discoveries, claims and interpretations of the last two decades, supplying appropriate context for published literature. Constraints of space notwithstanding, readers may be left wanting more of the author's critical opinion on the current state of play: why is it that certain topics have received more attention than others, and what might this tell us about music historiography?

Moving from the medium of print to sound, the fourth chapter, “Byrd Discography”, compiled by Michael Greenhalgh, presents a complete list of recordings featuring Byrd's music issued in the period 1995‐2003. Listed alphabetically by genre, this is a valuable comparative resource for those interested in performance practice, especially as many of the listed items are issued on independent or overseas record labels. It is unfortunate that the nomenclature used to categorise Byrd's output is not always as clear as it might be, particularly in relation to preceding chapters. The rather ambiguous distinction between “English liturgical music” and “Other English music”, for example, contrasts with the more precise groupings employed in chapter one's catalogue (“English church music”, “Full anthems”, “Verse anthems”, “Secular vocal music” and “Consort songs”). Conversely, repertoire listed as “Consort music” in the catalogue is presented in the discography under three separate headings: “Consort music”, “In nominees” and “Hymn and Miserere settings”. Whilst the issue of categorising musical genre in this period is undoubtedly problematic, a more consistent approach would be beneficial in the context of a guide to research.

In the final chapter (“Not a conclusion”) a discussion of current developments in Byrd scholarship anticipates and proposes areas of research that might emerge in the near future. It is testament to the author's comprehensive approach, as well as the vitality of the discipline, that several research projects reported as being in progress are already beginning to appear in print. Although ostensibly designed as a retrospective account of existing research, it is hoped that the picture of Byrd scholarship provided by this volume will provide inspiration for new research projects that continue to reassess and interpret our knowledge of the composer and his music.