This is a picture of William Byrd (1540-1623). I didn't know much about him, or about his music, until I played a pavane and galliard of his for my performance diploma. It was wonderful to play them. Although wrapped up in the formal structures of those respective dance forms, the writing is both expressive and idiomatic. His use of tonality is also striking, being neither completely modal nor completely major-minor. It moves between the two. He was influential in his day too, and his keyboard music influenced Jan Petersoon Sweelinck, who was a direct influence on JS Bach through Schutz, Scheidt and Schein. Most of what I play at the historic building is by Byrd. I've really warmed to his keyboard music, and our visitors seem to like it too.
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