This sweet and merry month of May – William Byrd (The Gesualdo Six)

Here is “This sweet and merry month of May” by William Byrd, from our album Wishing Tree. 🌳 🎧 Stream, spin, and discover: https://linktr.ee/TheGesualdoSix ***** “This sweet and merry month of May” is one of the few pieces by William Byrd that might rightly be called a madrigal. Listen to how the composer portrays birds calling to one another, as if from branch to branch, with short, lively melismas, or how the ‘beasts do play’ through dancing syncopation. Of note, too, is the conventional praise of Elizabeth in the text, reflected here in a stretching of the harmonic pulse and a high tessitura for the upper voices, creating a sense of grandeur. [Owain Park © 2026] ***** 💿 Order your copy: https://www.thegesualdosix.co.uk/shop... Performed by The Gesualdo Six Directed by Owain Park Video by Alexander Barnes (@appleandbiscuit⁩) Audio by David Hinitt & Adrian Peacock for Hyperion Records #ChoralMusic #Byrd #Renaissance