William Byrd died 400 years ago this month. Various commemorative events and services are accordingly taking place, including in Lincoln, the composer’s adopted home, and at Edington’s festival of liturgical music in August. A notable Catholic, Byrd spent most of his life within the Tudor court. But such was the agility with which he preserved his faith that he was rarely troubled by the authorities. Quite the opposite. He and Thomas Tallis were granted a monopoly for printing music and when a case was raised against Byrd for his Catholic activities, it was halted by the Queen.