Jean-Luc Ho

William Byrd, Walsingham

Jean-Luc Ho, organ & harpsichord

Jean-Luc Ho’s latest opus, Walsingham, is dedicated to William Byrd’s works for keyboard instruments. It follows two records devoted to Albinoni’s violin sonatas, accompanied by Guillaume Rebinguet-Sudre and Claire Gratton (ECL 1302), and to Bach and Couperin’s pieces for harpsichord  (ECL1101), which were released, in 2014 and 2012 respectively, by L’Encelade, a label which was set up to release baroque music in 2010.

Remaining true to his interest in authentic techniques, Jean-Luc Ho plays a harpsichord using meantone tuning inspired by the Renaissance model in order to get as close as possible to the sound world of the period; a Quentin Blumenroeder organ (2012) after Koblenz (1511) and an Italian Ryo Yoshida harpsichord (2010) after Trasuntino (1531).

William Byrd is a pivotal composer, linking the Renaissance and baroque styles, and one of the most important representatives of the English school of music for keyboard instruments. He studied with Tallis, was appointed a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1572 and Elizabeth I granted him (together with his master) numerous musical privileges starting in 1575. He made a name for himself through his numerous pieces for keyboard which were published in various collections such as My Ladye Nevells Booke (1591), the Weelkes manuscript (circa 1600), the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (circa 1609-circa 1619), Parthenia (1612-13) and Will Forster’s Virginal Book (1624) totalling more than a hundred and forty pieces which make up a key component of English music written for keyboard instruments. In spite of the scale of this contribution and the fact that the quality of his work is recognised today by many musicians, Byrd certainly does not have the place that he deserves in the pantheon of composers.

The programme recorded includes extracts from his various books.