No question, these consort songs by William Byrd are a specialty area of the vocal repertoire visited primarily by early music aficionados and, in this case, will be of interest to fans of the singer, whose illustrious and influential career has spanned most of the era of the modern “period-practice” movement. Emma Kirkby’s clear, unadorned vocal quality and needle-sharp intonation, combined with scrupulous attention to tasteful ornamentation and interpretation based on intuitive sense as well as musicological evidence has gained her respect as well as admiration for her distinctive, often virtuoso renditions, from early songs to Baroque oratorio and opera. Here, in consort with the viol ensemble Fretwork, she offers heartfelt, vibrant performances that effectively portray texts while never losing touch with the songs’ lovely and preeminently vocal characteristics.
While these are essentially songs–there are several purely instrumental selections as well–the balance tends to give a bit too much weight to the viols, which results in an unduly thick-textured and less-than-ideal forward instrumental presence. Nevertheless, Kirkby is a formidable interpreter–commanding, facile, graceful–and it’s interesting to hear her darker, richer vocal quality in some songs alongside her trademark unaffected, young-girlish sound elsewhere. For another take on Byrd’s songs–with only a couple of repertoire duplications, but with better balance between voice and instruments–listen to countertenor Robin Blaze and the ensemble Concordia (Hyperion), where the lute is sparingly but effectively used in certain selections. In the final analysis, serious Byrd and Kirkby fans will have no choice but to buy this; if you’re just looking for one first-rate collection of Byrd songs, go for the Blaze.
