Stile Antico, “Byrd: Mass for Four Voices - V. Agnus Dei”
Several years ago, I heard a performance from the group above while driving. I made a note of their name on my phone — Stile Antico — and later bought tickets to a concert they were having near where I lived at the time. I invited my boyfriend (also at the time), who made a point of letting me know in not so many words that he wasn’t into the music and didn’t really want to go. I think we were also fighting about something else, to be fair. Anyway, we went to the concert. But it didn’t have the magic that had captivated me on the radio, and I was too aware that my companion wasn’t enjoying himself, so we left at intermission. The group dropped off my radar until recently, but this performance of music by William Byrd, written more than 400 years ago, just blows me away (full album streaming here). I wish I had stayed for the second half of that show. I should have just been like, “You go home and let me enjoy my Renaissance music in peace!”
Comments 1
Exquisite! As a choral singer, I love having the chance to watch their faces as I listen to their voices. The arched eyebrows, the eye contact between singers, the focused happiness of their mouths...so familiar and so human. Hours of practice to get to this level of blend and timing. Lovely!
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