William Byrd

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: William Byrd

(born 1543, Lincoln, Lincolnshire?, Eng. — died July 4, 1623, Stondon Massey, Essex) British composer. He studied under Thomas Tallis and was appointed organist of Lincoln Cathedral at age 20. In 1572 he became organist of the Chapel Royal, sharing the post with Tallis. In 1575 the two men received from Elizabeth I the exclusive license for the printing and selling of music in Britain. Though repeatedly prosecuted as a Roman Catholic, Byrd remained in favour with the queen. He is renowned as Britain's finest composer of sacred choral works, as well as for his keyboard music and songs. His works include three masses (for three, four, and five voices), some 220 Latin motets, four important Anglican services, and some 60 anthems, as well as some 100 virginal pieces (many preserved in the collections Parthenia and The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book).

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British History: William Byrd

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Byrd, William (c.1543-1623). Britain's leading composer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, Byrd's large output included English anthems and consort songs, Latin motets and masses, and keyboard and instrumental consort music. A pupil of Thomas Tallis, he was appointed organist and choirmaster at Lincoln cathedral in 1563. In 1570 he became a gentleman of the Chapel Royal, where he was joint organist with Tallis, with whom he was granted a royal monopoly of music printing.

Columbia Encyclopedia: William Byrd

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Byrd, William, 1674-1744, American colonial writer, planter, and government official; son of William Byrd (1652-1704). After being educated in England, he became active in the politics of colonial America. He served as member of the House of Burgesses, as receiver-general of Virginia, as Virginia council member, and as colonial agent in England. Byrd inherited a great estate from his father and ultimately owned over 179,000 acres (72,000 hectares). In 1737 he had the city that was to be Richmond laid out on one of his estates. His service in 1728 as one of the commissioners to survey the North Carolina-Virginia boundary and his many trips into the backwoods provided the material for much of his writings; A History of the Dividing Line, A Journey to the Land of Eden, and A Progress to the Mines were all based on his diaries. Byrd's polished style and crisp wit, in addition to his valuable record of Southern life, have won him a reputation as one of the foremost colonial authors. At his death he left a library of some 4,000 volumes at his Westover estate.

Bibliography

See his diaries and other writings (1941, 1942, 1970); biography by P. Marambaud (1971).

Works: Works by William Byrd

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(1674-1744)

1712	The Secret Diary. The Virginia planter and colonial government official completes his first diary, covering the years 1709 to 1712 and detailing day-to-day activities among the Virginia planter class. Topics range from prayers to diet, family affairs, exercise, and even sexual intercourse.
1721	A Discourse Concerning Plague, With Some Preservatives Against It. This pamphlet, published anonymously, praises the supposed medicinal qualities of tobacco. Later it would be attributed to the famous diarist Byrd, making it the only piece of his extensive writings to be published during his lifetime.
1721	The Secret Diary. Byrd's second diary chronicles the years 1717 to 1721, detailing his daily rounds of business, social gatherings, and chocolate drinking in addition to his evenings of sex with a variety of women.
1728	History of the Dividing Line. Written in 1728, but not published until 1841, this excerpt from the author's journal reveals his daily observations while surveying the border of Virginia and North Carolina. It also demonstrates Byrd's humor and sharp intellect, especially his biting commentary about the residents of North Carolina.
1732	A Progress to the Mines. Byrd records his visit to Alexander Spotswood's iron works near Fredericksburg, Virginia. First published in 1841, the work, like all of Byrd's, provides a fascinating look at the region.
1732	Journey to the Land of Eden. Another witty excerpt from Byrd's journal, with observations on Native Americans and coarse frontiersmen, would not be published until 1841. Byrd's writing covers his trip to "Eden"--his piece of land near the River Dan in North Carolina.
1741	The Secret Diary. Byrd's final diary, covering the period from 1739 to 1741, is completed. It reveals more details about the author's lifelong indulgences--reading and sex.

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		Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		British History. A Dictionary of British History. Copyright © 2001, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Read more
		Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more
		Works. The Chronology of American Literature, edited by Daniel S. Burt. Copyright © 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more