William Byrd Festival Brochure

View the festival brochure (29th June - 2nd July 2023)

Kerry McCarthy: talk

A new retrospective on Byrd’s music and life, 400 years on. This talk revisits the composer through the eyes (and ears) of the people who knew him, and through his own words whenever possible. It also traces a web of social connections that take us far beyond Elizabethan London, farther than Byrd himself ever physically travelled.

Kerry McCarthy is a musician and author known for her work on the English Renaissance. Her publications include award-winning biographies of Thomas Tallis (OUP, 2020) and William Byrd (OUP, 2013). She is also active as a professional singer, and her next book will be on the lives of singers in Tudor England.

The talk will last approximately one hour. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be served afterwards in the Breakout Space, with its views overlooking the Inner Temple's beautiful gardens.

Venue: Inner Temple Lecture Theatre
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"Terse and incisive ... a vivid portrait of a complex Tudor genius"

Dr John Milsom on McCarthy's Byrd

"The starting point for all enthusiasts for Byrd's music"

New York Review of Books on McCarthy's Byrd

Covid-Secure

The safety of our audience, musicians and staff comes first.