ABSTRACT
By the time William Byrd's last Mass was in print he had moved to Stondon Massey. It was there, and in the houses of his patrons, that the last phase of his work as a composer was completed. This began with two books of Gradualia, ac cantiones sacrae, a collection of music for Catholic worship. Publication was carried on more openly than had been the case with Byrd's three settings of the Ordinary. Through his printer, Thomas East, Byrd took the precaution of registering both books of Gradualia with the Stationers' Company. The first book of Gradualia contains sixty-three numbered items, and the second book forty-six, though some items consist of several sections which can be used separately. The first book of Gradualia contains many miscellaneous items, and originally gave no hint that a second book was planned. The second book has a greater formal clarity than the first, and includes only three miscellaneous pieces.
