St Martin-in-the-Fields marks William Byrd’s 400th anniversary with concerts on Friday and Saturday

WRITING music isn’t usually life-threatening, but in 16th-century England it could be a health hazard if you were a Catholic, writing Mass settings, under a Protestant political regime. That’s how it was for the composer William Byrd who accordingly wrote his Masses for intimate perfor­mance in hidden circum­stances, away from preying eyes and ears. And although he enjoyed some protection as a personal favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, he lived in constant danger of persecution by her officials.

Thankfully he escaped the fate of many (hanged, drawn, quartered and the like) to experience a natural death in 1623. And as this year marks its 400th anniversary, there’s a lot of Byrd around – including drama­tised stagings of his five-part Mass in the crypt of St-Martin-in-the-Fields this Fri 27 (6pm and 9pm) and Sat 28 Jan (6pm and 9pm). How you dramatise a Mass setting I’m not sure, but it’s clearly going to be atmospheric, with a sense of danger, darkness and fear. The singers are the excellent Gesualdo Six. And although maybe not for those of nervous dispositions – think the London Dungeon with music – it could be memorable. stmartin-in-the-fields.org

• Meanwhile that definitively larger choral group The Sixteen join forces with pianist Julian Joseph for a programme in which Monteverdi meets jazz – in the common ground of improv. Monteverdi often expected his performers to extemporise over the skeleton of a supplied bass line, much as latterday jazz artists would. Hear for yourself at Kings Place, 27 Jan: kingsplace.co.uk

• One of the most dynamic younger composers around is Mark Simpson whose music can be vivid, bold and provocative (recent examples including a surprisingly touching opera set in the toilets of a gay club). On 28 Jan his new Piano Concerto premieres at the Festival Hall, with pianist-of-the-moment Vikingur Olafsson as the soloist and the LPO under Edward Gardner. A major event. southbankcentre.co.uk

• There are flags flying at English National Opera as it breathes again after the Arts Council backed down and gave the company a temporary reprieve from collapse with another year of funding. Diving into its cupboard of old shows, it revives its rather messy Calixto Bieito production of Carmen 1 – 24 Feb: not a joy, but good to see the company still functioning (eno.org).

And over at the Royal Opera there are two openings in quick succession: a revival of Wagner’s Tannhauser (with mega-voiced new Nordic star Lise Davidsen in the female lead) running Jan 29 to Mar 16, and a Barber of Seville Feb 2 to Mar 28. Roh.org.uk.

Not long ago, the Royal Opera announced that Czech conductor Jakub Hrusa would be its music director as from 2025. For an advance experience of the man in action, catch him at the Festival Hall on 2 Feb when he takes the Philharmonia through a programme advertised as Dances of Death and Desire: the sort of sensationalism you get in concert promos these days but fair enough as a description of some distinctly lurid narrative works by Bartok, Strauss and Dvorak based on sex, death and dismemberment. Parental guidance obviously. southbankcentre.co.uk