Secret Byrd

Both performances of Secret Byrd are sold out but please contact cathy@bremf.org.uk to be added to the waiting list in case of returns. If you like polyphony why not check out our other events The Excellence of Women on 14 October or Mother, Sister, Daughter on 22 October.

England’s finest composer was a covert Catholic facing brutal prosecution. Hear Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices as he intended: sung for private worship in strictest secrecy. The Gesualdo Six and Fretwork collaborate for the first time in a theatrical seance by candlelight that invites you inside the music like never before.

A limited audience is free to move around a costumed and staged performance, breaking bread and celebrating Byrd’s masterpiece. This new work invites secular and religious audiences alike to commune with some of the most ravishing music ever written, recreating the music (and the spiritual intensity) of forbidden Catholic worship at the height of England’s golden age.

Co-commissioned with Washington National Cathedral and touring the US and UK in 2023.

The Gesualdo Six
Guy James & Alasdair Austin countertenors
Joseph Wicks & Josh Cooter tenors
Michael Craddock baritone
Owain Park director & bass

Fretwork
Emilia Benjamin, Emily Ashton, Jonathan Rees, Joanna Levine, Sam Stadlen, Richard Boothby viols

Created and directed by Bill Barclay

Produced by Concert Theatre Works

There are two ticket types for this performance:
£30 – includes soup and a ringside seat
£22 – standard ticket
A limited number of £5 Prom tickets will be sold on the door if space allows

If you book a ticket which includes soup and a ringside seat, you will need to collect a wristband from the ticket desk on arrival. Please allow plenty of time to collect your wristband before the performance starts, and ensure that it is clearly visible throughout the performance.

Please note that this concert will last for approximately 75-80 minutes without an interval.