John Come Kiss Me Now

About

A commented concert devoted to the keyboard works of William Byrd, performed by Opéra de Dijon's Artist in Residence, harpsichordist Andreas Staier. The artistic focus explores how Elizabethan counterpoint meets popular tunes, inspired by Staier’s teenage discovery of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. The program is arranged around the sixteen variations of the titular piece, “John Come Kiss Me Now,” seeking the essence of the English popular melody. The recital draws a line from Byrd’s “The Woods so Wild” to a much later echo in “Norwegian Wood,” highlighting the enduring allure of English melodic tradition.