Byrd's songs retain some charm for me. While they can be repetitive at times, they do provide a sizeable volume of interesting material, and are always enjoyable. Compared to Dowland, Byrd's more contrapuntal songs are richer in the lower parts, but less melodically compelling.
It remains essentially incomprehensible that this remains the only program of its kind. Subsequent programs devoted to Byrd songs have been by solo singers, and often include as many pure consort tracks as songs. Although perhaps not among the Consort of Musicke's most striking interpretations of the era, this disc does take on something of a classic quality. The relatively unaffected nature of the singing is also appealing in the face of increasing modern technique applied to this music.
Todd M. McComb