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Musicology:
My Lady Nevell's Ground is a keyboard work by the renaissance English composer, William Byrd (1543-1623). Byrd dedicates it to Lady Nevell, an unidentified English noblewoman who was the recipient of several of his dedications. It is found second in the manuscript which also bears her name.
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My Lady Nevell's Ground, MB57Year: ca. 1590
Genre: Other Keyboard
Pr. Instrument: Keyboard
It shares, with Chi passa, the first work in Lady Nevell's Book, the repeated chords popular at the time in continental Europe. It is rare for Byrd to use this technique, and it occurs elsewhere only in his descriptive works, The Battle and The Barley Break.
The ground, or bass, of this work is a series of three short, unremarkable, repeated phrases. From this foundation, Byrd composes a work of unusual musical invention and rhythmic energy. While it does not have the depth of, say, Hugh Aston's Ground, or the Quadran Pavan, it makes up for this in the brilliance and energy of the writing.
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