GB-Lbl Add. MS 57950 (Old Hall Manuscript)

British Library, London, England

choirbook: 15th century (1410-20)

Archive British Library, London, England (GB-Lbl)
Shelfmark Add. MS 57950 (Old Hall Manuscript)
Surface Parchment
Numbering System Foliation
Format portrait
Measurements 416 x 276 mm
Other Identifiers
  • RISM: GB-OH
  • CCM: LonBL 57950
  • olim (Former shelfmark): St. Edmund's College Library; Old Hall Manuscript
Notations
  • black full mensural
  • coloration in black void
  • coloration in red full
  • coloration in red void
  • proportions indicated in blue
Relationships
External Links
External Authorities
Provenance
  • England
Contents Contains 147 compositions, 97 from 27 composers, 50 are anonymous.
General Description

Earliest layer copied by a single scribe; later, as many as nine additional scribes copied pieces on folios left blank by original scribe, or on newly inserted folios. (Later scribes probably included the composers Burell, Cooke, Damett, and Sturgeon, all members of royal household chapel of Henry V; each apparently entered his own compositions). Of English origin; precise provenance of main layer remains uncertain (see BentOH and HugOH). Manuscript was in hands of members of royal household chapel of Henry V by c. 1415; additions made over next several years. Manuscript may have been at Winchester Cathedral, either in connection with its original copying or in 16th century. Possibly owned by Thomas Dackomb (1496-ca. 1572), petty canon of Winchester Cathedral; James Strangman (d. 1594), member of Elizabethan Society of Antiquaries ; and John Alcock (1715-1806). Later owned by Rev. John Parker (1776-1812), John Stafford Smith (1750-1836) and his descendants, and St. Edmund's College (at Old Hall Green, near Ware, Hertfordshire). Purchased by British Museum in 1973.

Music on ff. 1-11', 35'-55, 80'-89, 97'-99, 101-106', and 108'-109 in score layout; other pieces in choirbook layout.

DIAMM, 2017
Physical Description

Portions of some composers' names and some border decorations obliterated by trimming

DIAMM, 2017
Binding

Original covers lost; 18th-century binding discarded ca. 1895 and replaced by present covers of red morocco leather, with 'Sacrae cantiones ab auctoribus anglicis compositae' stamped in gold on spine.

DIAMM, 2017
Notation

Black full mensural, with red full, red void, and black void coloration; full blue notes used in two pieces to indicate proportions

DIAMM, 2017
Ruling

red staves

DIAMM, 2017
Foliation

18th-century foliation, 1-112

DIAMM, 2017
Foliation

1-112v

DIAMM, 2017
Decoration

Large Gothic illuminated initials, some in gold leaf with violet tracery, others in blue with red tracery. Letters of text immediately following illuminated initials usually shaded in yellow. Illuminator made initials for some pieces which main scribe never entered; later scribes utilized these initials as they added their own pieces. Some initials cut out during 19th century; parchment patches later pasted over gaps, some lost initials and music repainted, and decorative initials added to some pieces which had lacked them

DIAMM, 2017
Index

Folios now missing from beginning (probably lost at an early date) may have contained an original index

DIAMM, 2017
Surface

Parchment

DIAMM, 2017
RISM Description

RISM B/IV 4: 14/15. Jh.; 112 Blätter Pergament, 416 x 276 mm. Moderne Foliierung von f. 1-112. Je Seite meist 12 rote Fünfliniensysteme mit schwarzer, schwarz-roter und vereinzelt schwarz-blauer Mensuralnotation des späten 14. und 15. Jh. - Einband: um 1895; roter Lederband.

Die unter dem Namen Old Hall-Codex bekannte, aus 17 Faszikeln bestehende Handschrift ist das wichtigste Denkmal englischer Musik bis zum frühen 15. Jh. Ihre Geschichte ist erst seit dem 19. Jh. bekannt: 1813 ging sie von J. Parker an J. Stafford Smith und später an E. W. Tordiffe über, der sie 1893 dem St. Edmund's College in Old Hall schenkte. Dort fand sie kurz darauf W. Barclay Squire, der 1901 einen ersten Bericht veröffentlichte. Die Beurteilung der Handschrift betreffend Lokalisierung und Datierung machte im Laufe der Zeit wesentliche Wandlungen durch. Erst 1947 erkannte J. Harvey, daß OH ein Chorbuch der königlichen Haushaltskapelle zur Zeit König Heinrichs V. (1413-1422) gewesen ist. Doch haben neuere Forschungen von Harrison und Hughes ergeben, daß die älteste und größere Schicht (Hand A) vielleicht schon zur Regierungszeit Heinrichs IV. (1399-1413) geschrieben worden sein könnte und daß sich das ganze Repertoire über die Zeit von 1370 bis 1430 erstreckt. Doch muß die "Roy Henry"-Frage vorläufig offen bleiben. Unter den späteren Hinzufügungen hat Margaret Bent neben Haupthand A noch ca. 7 weitere Hände feststellen können.

Inhalt: f. 1-35 Gloria; f. 35v-40v Motetten; f. 41-55r Credo; f. 45v-57v Motetten; f. 58V-80V Credo; f. 80v-89v Sanctus; f. 89v-92r Motetten; f. 92v-100v Sanctus; f. 101r-109r Agnus; f. 109v-112v Motetten. - Leer sind f. 58r und 93r. - Von Hand A geschrieben sind die Nrn. 1-8, 16-36, 41-52, 56-62, 70-71, 75-91, 94-110 und 115-123.

INCIPITVERZEICHNIS

Die Nummern sind dem Inventar von A. Hughes und M. Bent (vergleiche MD XXI) entnommen. Die verschiedentlich unvollständigen Anfänge rühren von den oft herausgeschnittenen Initialen her, die allerdings teilweise samt den weggefallenen Noten unsorgfältig nachgetragen worden sind.

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

Répertoire International des Sources Musicales
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.

40 Glorias, 35 Credos, 27 Sanctus, 19 Agnus, 26 motets = 147 (some incomplete)

Alain [AleynH, Burell-2, Byttering-5, Chirbury-4, Cooke-9 + 1?, Damett-9 + 1?, (Dunstable)-1, Excetre-3, Fonteyns-1, (Forest?)-1, Forest/(Dunstable)-1, Forest/(Plummer)-1, Gervasius de Anglia [Gervays]-1, Henry IV or Henry V? [Roy Henry]-2, Lambert? [Lambe...]-1, Mayshuet-1, Olyver-4, Pennard-1, Pycard-7 + 1?, Power [Leonel]-21 + 2?, Queldryk-2, Rowlard-1, Sturgeon-7, Swynford-1, Tyes-2, Typp-7, (Magister Zacharias)-1, anon-45

112 parchment folios of an original 137 or more, 416 x 276. Modern (18th-century) foliation, 1-112. Portions of some composers' names and some border decorations obliterated by trimming. Original covers lost; 18th-century binding discarded ca. 1895 and replaced by present covers of red morocco leather, with "Sacrae cantiones ab auctoribus anglicis compositae" stamped in gold on spine. No index. Black mensural notation on red staves, with red full, red void, and black void coloration; full blue notes used in two pieces to indicate proportions. Music on ff. 1-11', 35'-55, 80'-89, 97'-99, 101-106', and 108'-109 in score format; other pieces in choirbook format.

Earliest layer copied by a single scribe; later, as many as nine additional scribes copied pieces on folios left blank by original scribe, or on newly inserted folios. (Later scribes probably included the composers Burell, Cooke, Damett, and Sturgeon, all members of royal household chapel of Henry V; each apparently entered his own compositions). Large Gothic illuminated initials, some in gold leaf with violet tracery, others in blue with red tracery. Letters of text immediately following illuminated initials usually shaded in yellow. Illuminator made initials for some pieces which main scribe never entered; later scribes utilized these initials as they added their own pieces. Some initials cut out during 19th century; parchment patches later pasted over gaps, some lost initials and music repainted, and decorative initials added to some pieces which had lacked them. Folios now missing from beginning (probably lost at an early date) may have contained an original index and some Kyrie settings.

Ca. 1410-20; repertory dates from ca. 1370-1420. Of English origin; precise provenance of main layer remains uncertain (see BentOH and HugOH). Earliest layer copied ca. 1410-5; manuscript was in hands of members of royal household chapel of Henry V by ca. 1415; additions made over next several years. Manuscript may have been at Winchester Cathedral, either in connection with its original copying or in 16th century. Possibly owned by Thomas Dackomb (1496-ca. 1572), petty canon of Winchester Cathedral; James Strangman (d. 1594), member of Elizabethan Society of Antiquaries ; and John Alcock (1715-1806). Later owned by Rev. John Parker (1776-1812), John Stafford Smith (1750-1836) and his descendants, and St. Edmund's College (at Old Hall Green, near Ware, Hertfordshire). Purchased by British Museum in 1973.

Vol 4

Composers: Change "Byttering-5" to "Byttering-5 + 1?"; change "Power [Leonel]-21 + 2?" to "Power [Leonel]-21 + 3?"; change "Pycard-7 + 1?" to"Pycard-7 + 2?"; change "Typp-7" to "Typp-7 + 1?"; change "anon-45" to "anon-41."

Date/provenance: Ca. 1411-22 (see BowersLP and BentP for discussion). Copied in England. Earliest layer probably compiled for use in household chapel of Thomas, Duke of Clarence (1388-1421), brother of Henry V, King of England (BowersLP). Following Thomas' death in battle, manuscript apparently passed to Henry; additions made by members of royal household chapel.

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

52v

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‡ denotes primary source study

Bent, Margaret. 2019. Mayshuet and the Deo gratias motets in the Old Hall manuscript. Beredte Musik. Konversationen zum 80. Geburtstag von Wulf Arlt, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis Scripta, vol. 8. edited by Margaret Bent,  Basel: Schwabe.

Curtis, Gareth R K, and Andrew B Wathey. 1994. Fifteenth-Century English Liturgical Music: A List of the Surviving Repertory. Royal Musical Association Research Chronicle, 27: 1-69.

Bent, Margaret. 1993. Pycard's double canon: evidence of revision? Sundry sorts of music books. Essays on The British Library Collections. Presented to O.W. Neighbour on his 70th birthday, edited by Margaret Bent, 10-26. London: The British Library.

Bent, Margaret. 1984. The Progeny of Old Hall: More Leaves from a Royal English Choirbook. Gordon Athol Anderson (1929-1981) in Memoriam, Musicological Studies, vol. 49. 2 vols.1-54. Henryville, Ottawa, and Binningen: Institute of Mediaeval Music. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Bent, Margaret. 1984. Text Setting in Sacred Music of the Early 15th Century: Evidence and Implications. Musik und Text in der Mehrstimmigkeit des 14. und 15. Jahrhunderts: Vorträge des Gastsymposiums in der Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel, 8. bis 12. September 1980, Göttinger Musikwissenschaftliche Arbeiten, vol. 10. edited by Margaret Bent, 291-326. Kassel: Bärenreiter. Notes: contents list (partial); transcriptions (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Curtis, Gareth R K. 1982-83. Stylistic Layers in the English Mass Repertory c. 1400-1450. Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, 109: 23-38. Notes: contents list (partial); transcriptions (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Sadie, Stanley (editor). 1980. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.  London. Pages: XIII,526-9; XVII,669. Notes: contents list (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Hamm, Charles E, and Herbert Kellman (editors). 1979-1988. Census-Catalogue of Manuscript Sources of Polyphonic Music 1400-1550. Renaissance Manuscript Studies, vol. 1-5. 5 vols. Neuhausen nr. Stuttgart: American Institute of Musicology, Hänssler Verlag.

Hoppin, Richard H. 1978-79. More Pairs of Mass Movements in the Old Hall Manuscript. Revue Belge de Musicologie, 32-33: 23-34. Notes: contents list (partial); transcriptions (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Trowell, Brian. 1978-79. Proportion in the Music of Dunstable. Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, 105: 100-41. Notes: contents list (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Bowers, Roger. 1975-76. Some Observations on the Life and Career of Lionel Power. Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, 102: 103-27. Pages: 109-10. Notes: physical description; mention of MS; discussion.

Bent, Margaret. 1974. The Old Hall Manuscript. Early Music, 2: 2-14. Notes: physical description (partial); transcription (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

White, John Reeves. 1974. Lyonel Power's Sanctus (ca. 1410). Notations and Editions: A Book in Honor of Louise Cuyler, 17-32. Dubuque, Iowa. Notes: transcription (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Schlager, Karlheinz (editor). 1971-. Répertoire International des Sources Musicales. Series A/I, vol. Einzeldrucke vor 1800.  Kassel. Pages: B IV/4, 675-725. Notes: physical description; contents list; concordances; incipits.

Bent, Margaret, Ian D Bent, and Brian Trowell (editors). 1970. John Dunstable complete works. Musica Britannica, vol. VIII.  London. Pages: VIII [rev. ed.], 88-91,148-9,192,205. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial).

Hamm, Charles E (editor). 1969-. Leonel Power: Complete Works. Corpus mensurabilis musicae, vol. 50.  Neuhausen nr. Stuttgart: American Institute of Musicology. Pages: I,xx,xxiii,1-5. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); transcription (partial).

Bent, Margaret. 1969. The Old Hall Manuscript: A Paleographical Study. Cambridge University, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Notes: physical description; contents list; concordances; transcription (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Bent, Margaret, and Andrew Hughes (editors). 1969. The Old Hall Manuscript. Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae, vol. 46. 3 vols. Pages: I-III. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list; concordances; mention of MS; discussion.

Bent, Margaret. 1967-8. Sources of the Old Hall Music. Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, 94: 19-35. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); texts (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Bent, Margaret. 1966. Initial Letters in the Old Hall Manuscript. Music and Letters, 47: 225-38. Notes: physical description (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Harrison, Frank Llewellyn. 1965. Benedicamus, Conductus, Carol: A Newly-Discovered Source. Antiquae Musicae Italicae, 27: 35-48. Pages: 200ff.

Hughes, Andrew. 1965. Mass Pairs in the Old Hall and Other English Manuscripts. Revue Belge de Musicologie, 19: 15-27.

Hamm, Charles E. 1964. A Chronology of the Works of Guillaume Dufay Based on a Study of Mensural Practice.  Princeton. Pages: 45-9,98,100. Notes: contents list (partial); transcriptions (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Hughes, Andrew. 1963. English Sacred Music (Excluding Carols) in Insular Sources, 1400-C.1450. Oxford University, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list; concordances; transcription (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Apfel, Ernst. 1959. Studien zur Satztechnik der mittelalterlichen englischen Musik. 2 vols. Pages: Band I.

Harrison, Frank Llewellyn. 1958, second ed. 1963. Music in Medieval Britain.  London: Routledge. Pages: facing 141, 220ff, passim. Notes: transcription (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Westrup, Jack A (editor). 1954-. New Oxford History of Music.  London, New York, and Toronto. Pages: III,101-6,167-76, passim. Notes: contents list (partial); transcriptions (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Bukofzer, Manfred F. 1950. Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Music. Pages: 34-85. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Blume, Friedrich (editor). 1949-79. Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart: Allgemeine Enzyklopädie der Musik.  Kassel. Pages: I,706; II,1335; VI, Tafel 3; IX,1920-5. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); concordances (partial); facsimile (partial).

Harrison, Frank Llewellyn. 1949-79. Old Hall-Manuscript. Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 1st Edition, 9: col.1920-1925.

Strunk, Oliver. 1949. The Music of the Old Hall Manuscript - A Postscript. The Musical Quarterly, 35: 244-9.

Bukofzer, Manfred F. 1948-9. The Music of the Old Hall Manuscript. The Musical Quarterly, 34 (512ff) & 35 (36ff): . Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial).

Harvey, Jonathan. 1947. Gothic England.  London.

Apel, Willi. 1942. (4th ed., 1949). The Notation of Polyphonic Music 900-1600.  Cambridge, Massachusetts. Pages: 124-5,364-7,432-5,450. Notes: transcription (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Reese, Gustave. 1940. Music in the Middle Ages: With an introduction on the music of ancient times.  New York: W.W. Norton & Co. Pages: 410ff.

Ramsbotham, Alexander, Dom Anselm Hughes, and H B Collins (editors). 1938-9. The Old Hall Manuscript III.

Ramsbotham, Alexander, H B Collins, and Dom Anselm Hughes (editors). 1933-8. The Old Hall Manuscript.  Burnham and London. Pages: I-III. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list; concordances (partial); texts; facsimile (partial); texts (partial).

Besseler, Heinrich. 1925. Studien zur Musik des Mittelalters: I. Neue Quellen des 14. und beginnenden 15. Jahrhunderts. Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, 7: 167-252. Pages: I, 225f.

Terry, R R. 1916. The Old Hall Manuscript. Westminster Cathedral Chronicle, 10: 171ff. Pages: Faksimile von Nr. 16 und 106.

Wolf, Johannes. 1904; Reprinted: Hildesheim, 1965. Geschichte der Mensural-Notation von 1250-1460 nach den theoretischen und praktischen Quellen. 3 vols. Leipzig. Pages: I,373-6. Notes: physical description; transcription (partial); facsimile (partial).

Squire, W Barclay. 1900-1. Notes on an undescribed Collection of English 15th Century Music. Sammelbande der Internationalen Musikgesellschaft, 2: 342-92. Notes: physical description; contents list; incipits; concordances (partial); transcription (partial); texts (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Adler, Guido (editor). 1894-1970. Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich.  Graz and Vienna. Pages: LXXVI,102.

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Richard Yates

Monday, 20 January, 2025

Misattribution to Dunstaple corrected.

Richard Yates

Tuesday, 14 January, 2025

corrected foliation for Sturgeon's Credo (f. 52v-53v)

Evan Deddo

Tuesday, 24 January, 2023

Fixed incorrect foliation for Damett's "Salvatoris mater pia"

DIAMM, 2016

Monday, 23 January, 2017

NB: Migrated from old site. Credit for notes may not be completely accurate. General Description; Physical Description Note; Binding Note; Notation Note; Ruling Note; Foliation Note; Foliation Note; Decoration Note; Contents Note; Surface Note

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

Répertoire Internationale des Sources Musicales

Monday, 23 January, 2017

NB: Migrated from old site. Credit for notes may not be completely accurate. RISM Description