London-based choral collective Shards have announced a new album, Byrd Song, which is out April 19 on Erased Tapes. Inspired by Renaissance composer William Byrd, the LP features eight reimagined works, including the previously released ‘Facta est deserta’ and ‘Amen, amen, amen…’, as well as the new track ‘Agnus Dei’. Listen below.
“I’ve been singing Byrd’s music since I was at school, and sang a lot while studying and singing in my college chapel choir, which I did daily for three years,” Shards’ Kieran Brunt shared in a statement. “His music has endured for centuries because of its beauty, complexity and intense emotion.”
‘“Agnus Dei’ is a meditation on a tiny fragment – the opening five notes of the Agnus Dei from Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices – which builds into a song that is emotionally raw and impulsive,” he added. “It’s the first time I’ve recorded a song in one take, singing and playing the Prophet synth at the same time; as a result the rhythm is quite volatile and the processed vocal part florid and improvisatory.”
Byrd Song Cover Artwork:
Byrd Song Tracklist:
1. Facta est deserta
2. Domine Deus
3. Kyrie
4. Sanctus
5. Agnus Dei
6. Sacerdotes (Lost Cadence)
7. Ave Verum
8. Amen, amen, amen…
