Earl of Oxford March

If he had been born in 1983 instead of 1543, English composer William Byrd would have been a LinkedIn power user. He easily navigated the top social circles of his day, especially those involving top literary figures and the rich and famous. The Earl of Oxford March is a point of intersection for both. The earl in question was likely Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, born just after Byrd in 1550. For about ten years, starting around 1572, Byrd and Oxford were both at the Court of Elizabeth I—Byrd as part of the Chapel Royal, which provided music to her household, and Oxford as part of her entourage. The Queen and Oxford were accomplished lutenists and virginal players, and probably played Byrd’s music together. (As an interesting aside, Oxford was an amateur poet, and in recent decades, he was briefly considered one of the candidates for the real William Shakespeare.) In the late 1570s, a series of unfortunate mishaps involving real estate and inheritance left Byrd teetering on the edge of possible bankruptcy; Oxford rescued him by selling one of his houses to Byrd’s brother. It is easy to imagine, therefore, that Byrd composed the Earl of Oxford March in honor of his friend. Although Oxford was an accomplished swordsman, he never experienced victory in battle. Byrd realizes Oxford’s dreams of glory with militaristic flourishes made even more prominent in this brass arrangement.