GB-Och Mus. 984 [Discantus] (Dow Partbooks)

Christ Church, Oxford, England

partbook: 1581-8

Archive Christ Church, Oxford, England (GB-Och)
Shelfmark Mus. 984 [Discantus] (Dow Partbooks)
Surface Paper
Numbering System None / Unknown
Format landscape
Measurements c. 200 x 150 mm
Other Identifiers
  • CCM: OxfC 984-8
Notations
  • black full mensural
  • black void mensural
Copyists
Relationships
External Links
Provenance
Contents Contains 124 compositions, 112 from 27 composers, 12 are anonymous.
General Description

A Discantus partbook from a set of five volumes. Copied by Robert Dow (1553-88), fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, except for nos. 53-4, which were copied by John Baldwin, and nos. 99-100, which were copied by an unidentified person. At Dow's death the partbooks passed to Giles Thomson, a former colleague of Dow's at All Souls, and later Dean of St George's Chapel, Windsor; he died in 1612. The Windsor connection helps explain the additions made to the partbooks by John Baldwin (d. 1615), who was a singing-man at St George's Chapel. From Thomson, the books passed to Gregory Baker (d. 1637), then to his son Giles Baker (d. c. 1661). The next trace of the set is as part of the Aldrich bequest, where it is listed in Dowding at position N.2.4 as 'Latin Psalms / By Tallis &c MS. 5 voc. 1581'. Possibly the set was acquired by Aldrich together with Mus. 979-83, copied wholly by John Baldwin, which is also of Windsor provenance.

John Milsom, 2010
Binding

Early l7th-century covers of brown leather on cardboard, tooled in gold with decorative borders and initials 'G.T.'

John Milsom, 2010
Notation

Black void mensural; cantus firmus in some pieces in black mensural

John Milsom, 2010
Ruling

printed red staves

John Milsom, 2010
Foliation

Other numberings: Dow himself numbered items 1-52. Baldwin numbered items 53-4 (also adding '55' in error in Mus. 984-5). The remaining contents were left unnumbered until the 19th century. Various later hands (including that of Havergal) continued the numbering system, in sequences that do not always agree with one another

John Milsom, 2010
Foliation

No foliation or pagination

John Milsom, 2010
Decoration

No initials, but some text incipits copied in ornamental script. Latin epigrams on various folios include comments on the art of music and evaluations of particular composers (see BoydE).

John Milsom, 2010
Index

Modern index on flyleaves at beginning of Discantus book lists pieces alphabetically by composer (R. White works listed first, out of order).

John Milsom, 2010
Surface

paper

John Milsom, 2010
DIAMM Note

There were some exposure problems in photographing the first two books. This has largely been corrected in processing, but there may be some residual over-exposure.

Digitized with funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK) and included in the Tudor Partbooks project at the Universities of Oxford and Newcastle.

DIAMM 2023
Census Catalogue of Music Description

This information is reproduced here by kind permission of the publishers. It is COPYRIGHT and copying/reproduction of this content without permission may result in legal action.

1 Magnificat section, 5 hymns, 1 set of Lamentations, 49 motets, 22 anthems and English sacred pieces, 28 English secular pieces, 4 French secular pieces, 3 Italian secular pieces, 1 textless canon, 13 instrumental pieces = 127

Bruster-1, Bull-1, Byrd-56, (Edwards?)-1, R. Farrant/(Byrd/R. Parsons 1)-1, A. Ferrabosco I-2, N. Giles-1, (Hunnis?)-1, R. Johnson I-1, Lassus-3, Mallorie-1, Mocheni-2, W. Mundy-1, R. Parsons I-6, R. Parsons I/(Byrd)-1, R. Parsons I/(Wilder)-1, Shepherd-1, Strogers-6, J. Tailer [Mr. Tayler; Tailer]-1, Tallis-6, Taverner-1, Tye-4, Tye/(Maillard?)-1, Tye/(Verdelot/Wilder)-1, R. White-13, R. White/(M. White)-1, Wilder [Phillips]-1, Woodcocke-2, anon-9

5 paper partbooks (D-ii + i + 93 folios, Medius-ii + 93 + i, AT-ii + 95 + i folios each, B-ii + 89 + i), 142 x 194. No foliation or pagination. Original numbering of Latin pieces at beginning, 1-54; modern ink and pencil numbering of pieces in remainder of manuscript, 55-99 + 99b-133 ("133" applied to three different pieces; some partes counted separately). Early l7th-century covers of brown leather on cardboard, tooled in gold with decorative borders and initials "G.T." Modern index on flyleaves at beginning of D lists pieces alphabetically by composer (R. White works listed first, out of order). Black void mensural notation on orange staves; cantus firmus in some pieces in black mensural notation.

The main scribe was probably Robert Dow the Younger. Pieces #53-54 are slightly later additions in the hand of John Baldwin (see below), who also copied LonBLM 24 d.2, OxfC 979-83, part of OxfBMS e.376-81, and "My Ladye Nevells Booke" (last-named manuscript not within scope of this catalogue). #98-99 possibly copied by Dow, using less formal hand, or may be work of a third, unidentified scribe. No initials, but some text incipits copied in ornamental script. Latin epigrams on various folios include comments on the art of music and evaluations of particular composers (see BoydE).

1581-8, with slightly later additions (BernsCE). Copied in Oxford. The compiler and original owner was Robert Dow the Younger (ca. 1554-1588), fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. Later owned by John Baldwin, a singer and clerk at St. George's Chapel, Windsor, and gentleman of the Chapel Royal from 1594; Baldwin added two pieces. Later owner "G.T." added present bindings stamped with his initials. Acquired by Henry Aldrich (1647-1710), Dean of Christ Church, Oxford; bequeathed to Christ Church Library in 1710.

Census-Catalogue of Manuscript Sources of Polyphonic Music 1400-1550

27

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Sets

Select a set to see its sources.

‡ denotes primary source study

‡ Milsom, John. 2010. The Dow Partbooks, Facsimile with introductory study.  Oxford: DIAMM Publications. Notes: Full colour facsimile, introductory study with finding lists by title, composer and clef combination.

Boydell, Barra. 1999. Music at Christ Church before 1800: documents and selected anthems.  Four Courts Press.

Milsom, John. 1995. Sacred Songs in the Chamber. English Choral Practice, 1400-1650, edited by John Milsom, 165-6. Cambridge.

Mateer, David G. 1986-7. Oxford, Christ Church Music MSS 984-8: An Index and Commentary. Royal Musical Association Research Chronicle, 20: 1-18.

Charteris, Richard. 1984. Alfonso Ferrabosco the Elder (1543-1588): A Thematic Catalogue of his Music with a Biographical Calendar.  New York. Pages: 83,91,192. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial).

Fenlon, Iain, and John Milsom. 1984. 'Ruled Paper Imprinted': Music Paper and Patents in Sixteenth-Century England. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 37: 139-63.

Bernstein, Jane Agar. 1979. Philip van Wilder and the Netherlandish Chanson in England. Musica Disciplina, 33: 55-75. Pages: 66,71-2. Notes: mention of MS; contents list (partial); concordances (partial).

Bernstein, Jane Agar. 1974. The Chanson in England 1530-1640: A Study of Sources and Styles. University of California at Berkeley, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Pages: 286-98. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); concordances (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Daniel, Ralph T, and Peter Le Huray. 1972. The Sources of English Church Music 1549-1660. Early English Church Music, vol. Supplementary Volume 1.  London. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial).

Bray, Roger W. 1969. The Interpretation of Musica Ficta in English Music, C. 1490-C. 1580 [dissertation]. Oxford University, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Pages: I, 169-84, 234-6, passim; II, 80-9. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Brett, Philip (editor). 1967. Consort Songs. Musica Britannica, vol. XXII.  London.

Brett, Philip. 1965. The Songs of William Byrd. Cambridge University, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Pages: 18-24, 110-1, 126-34, 228-31. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Harrison, Frank Llewellyn (editor). 1963-. Early English Church Music.  London: Stainer & Bell. Pages: XXVIII, 124,128,130,133-4,137-8; XXX,109-18,176,189-90.

Kerman, Joseph. 1961. Byrd's Motets: Chronology and Canon. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 14: 359-82. Pages: 364-6, 368-9. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Brett, Philip, and Thurston Dart. 1960. Songs by William Byrd in Manuscripts at Harvard. Harvard Library Bulletin, 14: 343-65. Pages: 360-4. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); concordances (partial).

Lewis, Anthony (editor). 1951-. Musica Britannica: A National Collection of Music.  London. Pages: IX, 223; XXII, xx, 2ff, passim; XLIV,74-5,184,186,188-9,191-3. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Kerman, Joseph. 1950. Review of Fellowes' Byrd edition. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 3: 273-7. Pages: 277. Notes: contents list (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Blume, Friedrich (editor). 1949-79. Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart: Allgemeine Enzyklopädie der Musik.  Kassel. Pages: X, 515; XIII, 53-4. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Fellowes, Edmund H. 1948. William Byrd.  London, New York, and Toronto. Pages: 99-100, 109, 112, 141-3, 170-1, 193, 235-6. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Boyd, Morrison Comegys. 1940. Elizabethan Music and Musical Criticism.  Philadelphia. Pages: 360-4. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Fellowes, Edmund H (editor). 1937-50, 1962. The Collected Works of William Byrd. Pages: XV, passim; XVII, 155, 162. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial).

Fellowes, Edmund H (editor). 1923-48. Tudor Church Music.  London, Oxford et al. Pages: I, xxx, lix; II, xxii, xxxiv-xxxvi, 242-7, 266-70, 277-81; III, xvi; V, xx-xxv, passim; VI, xxx-xxxii; IX, xii, xiv. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial).

Arkwright, G E P. 1915-23. Catalogue of Music in the Library of Christ Church Oxford.  Oxford University Press. Pages: I, passim; II, 154-62. Notes: contents list; concordances (partial); incipits (partial).

Public Comments

This form is used to make comments on a source. If you wish to notify us of a correction to the record, you should use the "Contribute a change" form instead.

Timothy Ochala-Greenough

Friday, 13 October, 2017

'My little sweet darling' is a play song from Oedipus, in a MS in Yale, where it has a second verse and a further refrain. Unusually, the voice part with the melody is written within the main play text (1560s?). The play was attended by the Selby family at a grammar school. The In nomine psalm consort songs in Dow have a closely related psalm/In nomine song in Ten389/McGhie, where it is attributed to Mudd (Henry?). Pity attributions in Ten389 so unreliable.

Contributions to this record are recorded here. If you wish to contribute information or a correction to this record, use the "Contribute a Change" link. This will then be reviewed by DIAMM staff and, if accepted, your contribution will be acknowledged here.

Census-Catalogue of Manuscript Sources of Polyphonic Music 1400-1550

Monday, 23 January, 2017

NB: Migrated from old site. Credit for notes may not be completely accurate. Census Catalogue of Music Description