Laments for the Ages

William Byrd's compositions still resonate

William Byrd was one of England's leading Elizabethan composers. He composed sacred music for Anglican ritual, most notably The Great Service, but in his thirties became a Roman Catholic and started to write sacred music in that tradition, including his Masses for Three, Four, and Five Voices. Although Byrd surely did not frame it this way, the lack of a wall between church and state undeniably shaped his artistic output. Given the worldwide religious fundamentalist attacks, that wall is in serious need of reconstruction.

The text of Byrd's paired compositions may be taken literally or figuratively. A change in perspective may even shift the lament from one people to another. Either way, the music remains eerily relevant. Byrd’s texts are taken from:

• Part 1: "Ne irascaris, Domine" – Isaiah 64:9

• Part 2: "Civitas sancti tui" – Isaiah 64:10

Ne irascaris, Domine
Ne irascaris, Domine, satis,
et ne ultra memineris iniquitatis nostrae.
Ecce, respice populus tuus omnes nos.

Be not angry, O Lord, any longer,
and remember not our iniquity forever.
Behold, we are all your people.

Civitas sancti tui
Civitas sancti tui facta est deserta.
Sion deserta facta est,
Jerusalem desolata est.

Your holy city has become a wilderness.
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem has been made desolate.

Just remember: you heard it from a secular humanist.