Robert Quinney and Dónal McCann delight New College Chapel with the music of William Byrd

The music of William Byrd, who died 400 years ago on 4 July 1623, has been celebrated throughout this year, but there can have been few concerts which matched the recital given on Friday by the Organist Robert Quinney and the Assistant Organist Dónal McCann for the beauty of setting and the virtuosity of the playing.  

Byrd is known mainly for his choral writing, often featured at Evensongs in chapel, but we were treated to the wonders of his keyboard music – played on all four instruments in chapel.   

It was a spell-binding concert, showing off the variety of Byrd’s extraordinary complex writing. New College is fortunate in having two players worthy of the ‘father of musicke’.