Parthenia: Music for Virginals Ep. 1 Louise Hung and Byrd's Preludium and Galliardo Mary Brown

'Parthenia or the Maydenhead of the first musicke that ever was printed for the Virginalls (in England at least), composed by three famous masters: William Byrd, Dr. John Bull and Orlando Gibbons' was probably printed in 1613. MIO's Artistic Director John Edwards talks to harpsichordist Louise Hung about the terminology of plucked string keyboard instruments in the Elizabethan and Jacobean period, how they make their sound, the association of the virginals with young women in our period and the techniques and fingering which they used and which Louise deploys to get the characteristic sprightly articulation in Mary Brownlow’s Galliard and the spectacular passage work in the prelude by Byrd, both of which you’ll hear at the end of our chat.

This episode was originally released on the Musicians In Ordinary's podcast feed.