Siglo de Oro: Mysterious Motets

William Byrd is one of the best-known composers in a 16th-century England that was plagued by religious conflicts. Byrd, himself a devout Catholic, composed music for the Anglican service. True to his faith, he continued to compose music for Catholic gatherings. In his Latin motets, there are often hidden messages, protests and lamentations. Crises often serve as breeding grounds for art, and Byrd’s motets are a prime example of this.