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Gradualia vol. 1, a collection of Roman Catholic choral music, originally came out in 1605, unfortunately coinciding with the Guy Fawkes plot to assassinate King James I  by dissidents hoping to restore a Catholic monarchy in England.  The volume had to be withdrawn, but it reappeared five years later as a second edition of volume 1. 

Assumpta est Maria shows how gracefully Byrd moved among the Aeolian (minor) and the Ionian (major) modes, traveling between what our modern ears think of as keys.  The work starts in D minor but moves smoothly to F major, with some side trips to C major, then back to F, until the next to last few beats, where glides to a finish in D major.  And it sounds just right!  Performance time:  1:45.
-- Peter Seibert