ABSTRACT
A minute of 6 February 1562/3, in the Chapter Acts of Lincoln Cathedral, refers to Byrd's appointment as the cathedral's Organist and Master of the Choristers. The details of Byrd's recall to London are as obscure as those of his appointment at Lincoln. It is highly probable that Byrd was already a Catholic when he was appointed to the Chapel Royal. The haste of Byrd's recall to London suggests that Parsons was being groomed to take over from the ageing Tallis, and the need for a replacement was pressing. The Chapel's clerical head, appointed by the Queen, was the Dean, who from 1558 to 1583 was George Carew. There are not many descriptions of musical performances in the Elizabethan Chapel Royal, and those which exist are generally uninformative. Byrd's work at court beyond the Chapel Royal deserves more attention than it has received.
