GB-Ob MS. Ashmole 191

Bodleian Library, Oxford, England

non-music MS with added polyphony: 15th century: c.1445-60

Archive Bodleian Library, Oxford, England (GB-Ob)
Shelfmark MS. Ashmole 191
Surface Parchment
Numbering System Foliation
Format portrait
Measurements 215 x 150 mm
Other Identifiers
  • CCM: OxfBA 191
  • olim (Former shelfmark): MadanSC 6668
Notations
  • black full mensural
  • black void mensural
Relationships
External Links
Provenance
  • England
Contents Contains 7 compositions, 1 from 2 composers, 6 are anonymous.
General Description

Composite of four unrelated manuscripts later bound together, the fourth of which contains music. Music on new ff. 191-196' copied by a single scribe, except for piece on ff. 195'-196, which is a later addition by a different hand. Copied in England. Owned by the antiquarian Elias Ashmole (1617-92); bequeathed to Oxford University in 1677. Housed in Ashmolean Museum 1683-1860, then transferred to Bodleian Library.

DIAMM, 2017
Binding

New covers of brown leather on cardboard, with two brass clasps.

DIAMM, 2017
Watermark

1) hand; (2) cross (neither in Briquet)

DIAMM, 2017
Notation

black full mensural notation, except for piece on ff.195v-196, which is in black void mensural notation

DIAMM, 2017
Date

Ca. 1445-60 (HughM).

DIAMM, 2017
Foliation

Modern ink foliation, 1-211

DIAMM, 2017
Foliation

191r-197r

DIAMM, 2017
Decoration

No initials or decoration.

DIAMM, 2017
Surface

parchment

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.

6 English secular pieces, 1 textless fragment = 7 (Bedingham/Frye)-1, anon-6

ix + 211 + xvii paper folios, 215 x 150. Composite of four unrelated manuscripts later bound together; only fourth manuscript contains music. Modern ink foliation, 1-211. New covers of brown leather on cardboard, with two brass clasps. Music on new ff. 191-196', copied in black mensural notation by a single scribe, except for piece on ff. 195'-196, a later addition in white mensural notation by a different hand. No initials or decoration. Two watermarks, neither in Briquet: (1) hand; (2) cross.

Ca. 1445-60 (HughM). Copied in England. Owned by the antiquarian Elias Ashmole (1617-92); bequeathed to Oxford University in 1677. Housed in Ashmolean Museum 1683-1860, then transferred to Bodleian Library.

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

192v

Click an entry to see more information about that item.

Folio / Pages Composition / Item title Number of voices Source attribution Composers (? Uncertain)
191 Now wolde y fayne - - Anonymous

Now wolde y fayne

Anonymous
Appears on: 191
Genres: Song
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: English
Voice Text: Now wolde y fayne
191v–192 O kendly creature of beute perlez glorious - - Anonymous

O kendly creature of beute perlez glorious

Anonymous
Appears on: 191v–192
Genres: Song
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: English
Voice Text: O kendly creature of beute perlez glorious
192v–193 Go heart hurt with adusite and let my lady / Contratenor - - Anonymous

Go heart hurt with adusite and let my lady / Contratenor

Anonymous
Appears on: 192v–193
Genres: Song
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: English
Voice Text: Go hert hurt with adusite and let my lady / Contratenor
193v–194 Thus I complain my grievous heaviness to you - - Anonymous

Thus I complain my grievous heaviness to you

Anonymous
Appears on: 193v–194
Genres: Song
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: English
Voice Text: Thus y compleyn my grevous hevynesse to you
194v–195v Alas departing is ground of woe with song - - Anonymous

Alas departing is ground of woe with song

Anonymous
Appears on: 194v–195v
Genres: Song
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: French
Voice Text: Alas deparynge ys ground of woo wth songe
195v–196 Love will with variance be cause of repentance / Triplex - - Anonymous

Love will with variance be cause of repentance / Triplex

Anonymous
Appears on: 195v–196
Genres: Song
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: English
Voice Text: Luf wil wt variance be cause of repentaunce / Triplex
196v So ys emprentid - -
Bedingham, John (–ca. 1460) (?)
Frye, Walter (–ca. 1475) (?)

So ys emprentid

Bedingham, John (–ca. 1460) (?)
Frye, Walter (–ca. 1475) (?)
Appears on: 196v
Genres: Chanson
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: none
Voice Text: Untexted fragment
Composer Compositions
Anonymous
Bedingham, John (-ca. 1460)
Frye, Walter (-ca. 1475)
Composition Composers (? Uncertain) Folios / Pages
Alas departing is ground of woe with song Anonymous 194v–195v
Go heart hurt with adusite and let my lady / Contratenor Anonymous 192v–193
Love will with variance be cause of repentance / Triplex Anonymous 195v–196
Now wolde y fayne Anonymous 191
O kendly creature of beute perlez glorious Anonymous 191v–192
So ys emprentid
Bedingham, John (–ca. 1460) (?)
Frye, Walter (–ca. 1475) (?)
196v
Thus I complain my grievous heaviness to you Anonymous 193v–194

Images © Bodleian Library, Oxford

‡ denotes primary source study

Fallows, David. 1981. Robertus de Anglia and the Oporto Song Collection. Source Materials and the Interpretation of Music: A Memorial Volume to Thurston Dart, 99-128. London. Notes: contents list (partial); transcriptions (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Perkins, Leeman L, and Howard Garey (editors). 1979. The Mellon Chansonnier.  New Haven and London. Pages: II,167,370. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial); concordances (partial).

Fallows, David. 1978. Robert Morton's Songs: A Study in Styles in the Mid-Fifteenth Century. University of California at Berkeley, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Pages: 354-5. Notes: contents list (partial); transcriptions (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Fallows, David. 1976-7. English Song Repertories of the Mid-fifteenth Century. Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, 106: 61-79. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Kenney, Sylvia W. 1964. Walter Frye and the Contenance Angloise.  New Haven and London. Pages: 85-7,151-3,170,179-80. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Westrup, Jack A (editor). 1954-. New Oxford History of Music.  London, New York, and Toronto. Pages: 111,126-8,131. Notes: contents list (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Hughes, Dom Anselm. 1951. Medieval Polyphony in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Pages: 6. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list.

Wolf, Johannes. 1904; Reprinted: Hildesheim, 1965. Geschichte der Mensural-Notation von 1250-1460 nach den theoretischen und praktischen Quellen. 3 vols. Leipzig. Pages: I,368. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list.

Stainer, John F. R, and Cécie Stainer (editors). 1901. Reprinted: Farnborough, 1967. Sacred and Secular Songs, together with other MS. compositions in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Early Bodleian Music, vol. 1-2.  Oxford. London. Pages: I,xx, facs. 30-6 11,66-74. Notes: contents list; transcription; TeFDis.

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.

No comments have been made.

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.

DIAMM, 2016

Monday, 23 January, 2017

NB: Migrated from old site. Credit for notes may not be completely accurate. General Description; Binding Note; Watermark Note; Notation Note; Date Note; Foliation Note; Foliation Note; Decoration 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