The title is slightly misleading as Byrd rarely specified a specific keyboard instrument for his music. One can only speculate whether he may have intended these fantasias to be heard on the organ. The real springboard for this recording is the St Teilo organ – a reconstruction of what an English Tudor organ may have sounded like. This organ is based on the Wetheringsett organ made for the English Organ Project. Here, the organ is recorded in the University of Birmingham in a very dry room, giving us a sense of this music being heard in a domestic setting – indeed, Henry VIII allegedly owned more than a dozen small residence organs, so this is entirely likely how the music would be heard. Chapkhana interprets this music with the natural fluidity of a harpsichordist. Occasionally the awkwardness of transferring this music to the pipe organ is apparent when notes or chords are not held long enough for them to speak properly. I felt this, and some odd slurring, disturbed some moments of the performances, but overall, it is an enjoyable dip into an oft neglected era of organ music.

★★★★