Andrew Carwood: The Cardinall's Musick - Byrd: Laudibus in sanctis & other sacred music

It is Byrd�s genius which first attracts musicians and listeners to his music: his fine command of invention and dramatic flow, his subtle melodies and harmonic turns mixed with a sophisticated understanding of the texts that he chose to set. Quite simply he was the finest composer of his age.For ten years now Andrew Carwood and The Cardinall�s Musick have been engaged on a project to make the definitive recordings of William Byrd�s Latin Church music. We are delighted to be able to issue this tenth disc�there will be three more to complete the series�on the Hyperion label (volumes 1 to 9 appeared on the ASV/Sanctuary imprint).The survey has now reached the highpoint of Byrd�s creative achievement that is the 1591 Cantiones Sacrae publication from which we have seven works, culminating in the athletic extravagances of Laudibus in sanctis. From the 1605 Gradualia�the thread of Byrd�s subversive liturgical legacy which has run through the whole of this series�we have a further nine motets, including the Propers for use at Lady Mass in Eastertide.