An Altus partbook from a complete set of 5. The books contain the largest set of Gerarde's compositions known, 79 distinct pieces in all: 35 motets a4-8, two graces a5, 36 chansons a5-8, two secular motets a4 5 and one setting of an English secular text a5. In addition, the recent lifting of paste-overs and separation of pages that had been pasted together reveal earlier versions of several pieces, part of the working score of another, and discarded or abandoned versions of three compositions two of which are found nowhere else.

There is some evidence of attempts to organise the pieces, copied in several campaigns, by number of voices. Three pieces (two of them substantially re-written) were previously copied in RA 23-25; 11 items later reappear(re-worked) in RA 17-22, and 6 in RA 57.

Owned by Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel (d. 1580); later passed to Fitzalan’s son-in-law, John, 6th Baron Lumley (d. 1609). Arundel-Lumley collection later incorporated in Old Royal Library, which passed to newly founded British Museum in 1757.

109 folios, of which 38 are unused (Milledge); he states that 37 of these unused (& unnumbered) folios follow f. 52 - these are not shown in the images.

Original covers lost. Rebound in eighteenth century half-leather covers dated 1757.

Two watermarks predominate, each a gloved hand plus star. One is identical with that in RA 23-25, but for the letters GV instead of RP.

The end flyleaf of RA 34 has the wrist of a third gloved hand watermark; the paste-over at f. 26* in RA 35 has a floral mark; the paste-over at f. 65* in RA 32 has a crown; and one unused folio in RA 31 has a goat, surmounting a scroll.

The flyleaf of RA 31 has 7 different versions of Gerarde's signature, experimentally spelling his name 7 different ways: "Dyricke gerarde is boke to [.......]"; "Dericq Gerarde"; "Derick Gerarde"; "Dericke gerarde"; "Dyrike Gerrarde"; "Dyrik herraiarde"; and apparently "Crevadirike".

The flyleaf of RA 32 has a further variant, "Derick gerard", and on f. 67v is the further variant "finis direck geruard"; and in RA 33 (on f. 67v) appears "John Theodoricu i cus [Theodoricus = Derek] / finis qd finis qd master redford", bringing the total to 10 spellings of his name.

RA 33 bears Arundel's name twice.

5 hand-drawn staves per page