GB-Lbl Add. MS 54324

British Library, London, England

fragment: 15th century: c.1475

Archive British Library, London, England (GB-Lbl)
Shelfmark Add. MS 54324
Surface Paper
Numbering System Foliation
Format portrait
Measurements 220 x 352, 279 x 351, 287 x 355; orig. prob.: 290 x 360, folded to 180 mm
Other Identifiers
  • CCM: LonBL 54324
Relationships
External Links
Provenance
  • England
Contents Contains 8 compositions, 5 from 3 composers, 3 are anonymous.
General Description

Three bifolios recovered from binding of an illuminated psalter. Originally f. 1 adjacent to f. 2; f. 3 adjacent to f. 4. Ff. 1-4' and 6-6' copied by a single scribe; ff. 5-5' perhaps copied by same hand, but more likely by a second scribe. Copied in England. Probably during early or mid 16th century, folios were incorporated into binding of 'Stourton Psalter,' dating from c. 1440-50; removed from binding in 19th century, but kept with psalter. Modern owners include George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland; C. W. Dyson Perrins; H. C. Drayton. Fragments with polyphony acquired as separate item by British Museum at a Sotheby's sale of Drayton's property in 1967.

DIAMM, 2017
Physical Description

Trimming and other damage have obliterated original foliation, some music, and probably some attributions

DIAMM, 2017
Watermark

first (bull's head surmounted by a star) closely resembles, but is not identical to, Briquet #15082; second (crown with banner) is Briquet #4846.

DIAMM, 2017
Notation

not indicated

DIAMM, 2017
Ruling

10-11 mm

DIAMM, 2017
Foliation

1-6v

DIAMM, 2017
Foliation

Modern pencil foliation in upper recto of each bifolio: 4, 2, 6, respectively (= BentDDP numbering 1/4, 2/3, 5/6, respectively)

DIAMM, 2017
Decoration

No initials or other decoration.

DIAMM, 2017
Surface

paper

DIAMM, 2017
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.

3 Kyries, 1 Gloria, 4 motets = 8 (4 incomplete)

(Dufay)-1, Dunstable-1, Plummer-2, anon-4

3 paper bifolios, ca. 220 x 352, 279 x 351, 287 x 355, recovered from binding of illuminated psalter (see below). Original size of each bifolio probably ca. 290 x 360 (i.e., folio size ca. 290 x 180). Trimming and other damage have obliterated original foliation, some music, and probably some attributions. Modern pencil foliation in upper recto of each bifolio: 4, 2, 6, respectively (= BentDDP numbering 1/4, 2/3, 5/6, respectively). Originally f. 1 adjacent to f. 2; f. 3 adjacent to f. 4. Ff. 1-4' and 6-6' copied by a single scribe; ff. 5-5' perhaps copied by same hand, but more likely by a second scribe. Two watermarks: first (bull's head surmounted by a star) closely resembles, but is not identical to, Briquet #15082; second (crown with banner) is Briquet #4846. No initials or other decoration.

Ca. 1475 (BentDDP). Copied in England. Probably during early or mid 16th century, folios were incorporated into binding of "Stourton Psalter," dating from ca. 1440-50; removed from binding in 19th century, but kept with psalter. Modern owners include George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland; C. W. Dyson Perrins; H. C. Drayton. Fragments with polyphony acquired as separate item by British Museum at a Sotheby's sale of Drayton's property in 1967.

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

6v-5

Click an entry to see more information about that item.

Folio / Pages Composition / Item title Number of voices Source attribution Composers (? Uncertain)
1 Kyrie Deus creator omnium - - Anonymous

Kyrie Deus creator omnium

Anonymous
Appears on: 1
Genres: Kyrie eleison, Mass Ordinary
General Note

incomplete
1v–2 Kyrie Deus creator omnium - -
Plummer, John (ca. 1410–ca. 1484)

Kyrie Deus creator omnium

Plummer, John (ca. 1410–ca. 1484)
Appears on: 1v–2
Genres: Kyrie eleison, Mass Ordinary
General Note

incomplete
2v Gloria [Et in terra pax] - -
Plummer, John (ca. 1410–ca. 1484)

Gloria [Et in terra pax]

Plummer, John (ca. 1410–ca. 1484)
Appears on: 2v
Genres: Gloria (et in terra pax), Mass Ordinary
3 Descendi in ortum meum ut viderem - dunstaple
Dunstaple, John (ca. 1390–1453)

Descendi in ortum meum ut viderem

Dunstaple, John (ca. 1390–1453)
Appears on: 3
Genres: Motet
Source Attribution: dunstaple
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Voice Text: Descendi in hortum meum
3v–4v Gaude flore virginali 4 -
Dunstaple, John (ca. 1390–1453) (?)

Gaude flore virginali

Dunstaple, John (ca. 1390–1453) (?)
Appears on: 3v–4v
Genres: Motet
Number of voices: 4
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Voice Text: Gaude flore virginali

Item Bibliography

Bent, Ian D, and Margaret Bent. 1969. Dufay, Dunstable, Plummer-A New Source. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 22: 394-424. Pages: 415-424.

Bent, Ian D, Margaret Bent, Manfred F Bukofzer, and Brian Trowell (editors). 1953, 2d revised ed. prepared by Margaret Bent, Ian Bent & Brian Trowell. 1970. John Dunstable: Complete Works. Musica Britannica, vol. 8.  London: Stainer and Bell. Pages: no. 73.

5 Speciosa facta es - - Anonymous

Speciosa facta es

Anonymous
Appears on: 5
Genres: Motet
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Voice Text: Speciosa facta es
5v Asperges me Domine isopo et mundabor - - Anonymous

Asperges me Domine isopo et mundabor

Anonymous
Appears on: 5v
Genres: Asperges me, Motet
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Voice Text: Asperges me Domine hysopo
6–6v Missa Caput: Kyrie Deus creator omnium - -
Anonymous (previously ascr. to Du Fay)

Missa Caput: Kyrie Deus creator omnium

Anonymous (previously ascr. to Du Fay)
Appears on: 6–6v
Genres: Mass Ordinary, Troped Kyrie
Composer Compositions
Anonymous
Anonymous (previously ascr. to Du Fay)
Dunstaple, John (ca. 1390-1453)
Plummer, John (ca. 1410-ca. 1484)
Composition Composers (? Uncertain) Folios / Pages
Asperges me Domine isopo et mundabor Anonymous 5v
Descendi in ortum meum ut viderem
Dunstaple, John (ca. 1390–1453)
3
Gaude flore virginali
Dunstaple, John (ca. 1390–1453) (?)
3v–4v
Gloria [Et in terra pax]
Plummer, John (ca. 1410–ca. 1484)
2v
Kyrie Deus creator omnium Anonymous 1
Kyrie Deus creator omnium
Plummer, John (ca. 1410–ca. 1484)
1v–2
Missa Caput: Kyrie Deus creator omnium
Anonymous (previously ascr. to Du Fay)
6–6v
Speciosa facta es Anonymous 5

Images © The British Library

‡ denotes primary source study

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.

Planchart, Alejandro Enrique. 1981. Fifteenth-Century Masses: Notes on Performance and Chronology. Studi Musicali, 10: 3-29. Pages: 20-5,29. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (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.

Hughes, Andrew. 1978. Fifteenth-Century English Polyphony Discovered in Norwich and Arundel. Music and Letters, 59: 148-58. Pages: 155. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial).

Benham, Hugh Raymond. 1977. Latin Church Music in England c. 1460-1575.  London. Pages: 58-9. Notes: physical description (partial).

Sandon, Nicholas. 1976. Fragments of Medieval Polyphony at Canterbury Cathedral. Musica Disciplina, 30: 37-53. Pages: 47-8. Notes: contents list (partial); transcription (partial).

Bent, Margaret. 1973. The Transmission of English Music 1300-1500: Some Aspects of Repertory and Presentation. Studien zur Tradition in der Musik: Kurt von Fischer zum 60. Geburtstag, edited by Margaret Bent, 65–83. Munich: Musikverlag Emil Katzbichler. Pages: 76. Notes: mention of MS; contents list (partial).

Burstyn, Shai. 1972. Fifteenth-Century Polyphonic Settings of Verses from the Song of Songs. Columbia University, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Pages: 165, 193, 403. Notes: mention of MS; contents list (partial).

Planchart, Alejandro Enrique. 1972. Guillaume Dufay's Masses: Notes and Revisions. The Musical Quarterly, 58: 1-23. Notes: concordances (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Hughes, Andrew. 1971-72. Review of Music in Medieval Britain VIII, rev. ed. [Dunstable: Complete Works]. Notes, 28: 99-100. Notes: mention of MS.

Bent, Margaret, Ian D Bent, and Brian Trowell (editors). 1970. John Dunstable complete works. Musica Britannica, vol. VIII.  London. Pages: VIII [rev.ed.], 211-4. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial).

Bent, Margaret. 1969. The Old Hall Manuscript: A Paleographical Study. Cambridge University, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Pages: 321-8. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); transcription (partial).

Bent, Margaret, and Ian D Bent. 1969. Dufay, Dunstable, Plummer-A New Source. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 22: 394-424. Notes: physical description; contents list; concordances; transcription (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

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Margaret Bent

Friday, 1 May, 2026

'Descendi in ortum meum' on f. 3 incorrectly ascribed to Leonel Power; corrected to Dunstaple (which is the ascription in the ms) The setting of Gaude flore which follows extends to f. 4v (not just 4); published in "John Dunstable: Complete Works" no.73

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