Tags
cembalo bells, cembalo tudor, change ring tudor, fitzwilliam virginal book bells, fitzwilliam virginal book byrd, lee byrd bells, queen elizabeth's virginal book, staier byrd bells, tudor music bells, virginals bells, william byrd bells
Music, anyone?
From the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book … The Bells by William Byrd – late 16th century.
Composed for the virginals, but performed here on the cembalo (early harpsichord) – by all accounts this lady is supreme*, with amazing speed at the climax around 5:00 mins:
Imagine Oranges & Lemons calling across Tudor London, with dozens of bell towers ringing the changes … Nah, not really – it’s a nice idea, but the bells formed unique sets, which weren’t tuned to each other.
So Byrd created a brilliant Elizabethan fantasy: to entertain and be entertained. Sit back …
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* On reflection, here’s a tighter version by Andreas Staier (5:49) – excellent. [no longer available – google “andreas staier the bells”]
