HomeDiscography1980 – William Byrd Choir

1980 – William Byrd Choir

“BBC Early Music Forum 26th July 1980”

Issue type Original release with no significant reissues listed in the Discography

Founded in 1973 by Gavin Turner, the William Byrd Choir was the first outside choir (apart from the Sistine Chapel Choir itself) to record in the Sistine Chapel, with the BBC in June 1980. Their recording, which included Allegri’s Miserere alongside works by Palestrina was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 a month later. The recording was produced by Miserere scholar Hugh Keyte.

This recording is discussed in some detail by Gavin Turner himself, in an article titled “Masses of early music on iPods” posted on 30th August 2006 on the blog “On An Overgrown Path” (overgrownpath.com).

Choir Information


The most significant information available about the William Byrd Choir is also supplied by Gavin Turner in the same blog post mentioned above.

Performance Information


Hugh Keyte, one of a handful of “Miserere Scholars” was the producer of the BBC recording. Graham O’Reilly’s book “Allegri’s Miserere in the Sistine Chapel” mentions (p. 208) that “Keyte was not yet ready to seriously question its [the “English Miserere”] musicological basis, and the only differences to standard practice consisted of a few fairly anodyne ornaments by the ‘top C’ soprano, Kym Amps”

Recording Information


Release Information


From BBC Genome’s link to the broadcast: “Hugh Keyte introduces a [recording] made last month in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel of the WILLIAM BYRD CHOIR, Conductor GAVIN TURNER, Allegri Miserere; Palestrina Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes; O beata et gloriosa Trinitas; Stabat Mater;”

Online References


Physical Archive Details


Artwork & Liner Notes

No artwork exists for this recording.

Media Samples

No media samples are available for this recording.