GB-Ob MS. Don. b. 31 (Part of Royal Choirbook)

Bodleian Library, Oxford, England

fragment: 15th century, c.1420-30

Archive Bodleian Library, Oxford, England (GB-Ob)
Shelfmark MS. Don. b. 31 (Part of Royal Choirbook)
Surface Parchment
Format landscape
Measurements ca. 235 x 315
Other Identifiers
  • CCM: OxfBDON b.31
Notations
  • black full mensural
  • coloration in black full
  • coloration in black void
  • coloration in red full
  • coloration in red void
Relationships
Provenance
  • England
Contents Contains 2 compositions, 2 are anonymous.
General Description

Once part of same original manuscript as CambriU 4435, CambriU 5963, CanberN 4052/2/1, ff. 27a-28 of OxfBU 192, and ff. 89-92 of OxfM 267. Of English origin; possibly copied for chapel of King Henry VI (BentP).

Recto fragment of MS b. 31 in score format; other music in choirbook format.

MS b. 31 purchased for Bodleian Library by American Friends of the Bodleian Library at Sotheby's sale in 1982; history of previous ownership unknown. MSS Don. b. 31 and Don. b. 32 are now housed together in a large folder.

(See also GB-Ob MS. Don. b. 32.)

DIAMM, 2019
Notation

Black mensural with red black full and red black void coloration

DIAMM, 2017
Ruling

red staves; staff height 15 mm

DIAMM, 2017
Foliation

r+v

DIAMM, 2017
Decoration

Large inked Gothic initials in grey, red, and black, with floral tracery extending into margins; one initial includes heraldic emblem (antelope) associated with King Henry VI (BentP).

DIAMM, 2017
Surface

Parchment

DIAMM, 2017
Census Catalogue of Music Description

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2 Agnus fragments, 2 motet fragments = 4

(Mayshuet)-1, anon-3

2 fragmentary parchment folios, ca. 235 x 315 and ca. 244 x 334. Once part of same original manuscript as CambriU 4435, CambriU 5963, CanberN 4052/2/1, ff. 27a-28 of OxfBU 192, and ff. 89-92 of OxfM 267. Recto fragment of MS b. 31 in score format; other music in choirbook format. Black mensural notation on red staves, with red full and red void coloration. Large inked Gothic initials in gray, red, and black, with floral tracery extending into margins; one initial includes heraldic emblem (antelope) associated with King Henry VI (BentP).

Ca. 1420-30 (BentP). Of English origin; possibly copied for chapel of King Henry VI (BentP). MS b. 31 purchased for Bodleian Library by American Friends of the Bodleian Library at Sotheby's sale in 1982; history of previous ownership unknown. MS b. 32 owned in 20th century by the architect and antiquary William Niven (d. 1921); purchased for Bodleian Library by American Friends of the Bodleian Library at 1983 Sotheby's sale of property of Niven's daughter.

(See also CambriU 4435, CambriU 5963, CanberN 4052/2/1, OxfBU 192, OxfM 267.)

Vol 4

Physical: Once part of same original manuscript as CambriU 4435, CambriU 5963, CanberN 4052/2/1, OxfBDON b.31-2, and ff. 27a-28 of OxfBU 192.

Provenance: Of English origin; possibly copied for chapel of King Henry VI (BentP).

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

recto

Click an entry to see more information about that item.

Folio / Pages Composition / Item title Source attribution Composers (? Uncertain)
recto Agnus Dei - Anonymous

Agnus Dei

Anonymous
Appears on: recto
Genres: Agnus Dei, Mass Ordinary
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Voice Text: Post missarum solennia
General Note

end of an Agnus (i.e. Agnus III only) in score
verso Agnus Dei - Anonymous

Agnus Dei

Anonymous
Appears on: verso
Genres: Agnus Dei, Mass Ordinary
General Note

Beginning of an Agnus setting in choirbook format: opening of the Cantus part
Composer Compositions
Anonymous
Composition Composers (? Uncertain) Folios / Pages
Agnus Dei Anonymous recto
Agnus Dei Anonymous verso

Images © Bodleian Library, Oxford

Set: Royal Choirbook

Type: Fragments of a whole

AUS-CAnl MS 4052/2/1 (Part of Royal Choirbook)

GB-Cu Add. 4435 (Part of Royal Choirbook)

GB-Cu Add. 5963(8) (Part of Royal Choirbook)

GB-Lv Circ. 526-1923 (Part of Royal Choirbook)

GB-Ob MS. Don. b. 31 (Part of Royal Choirbook)

GB-Ob MS. Don. b. 32 (Part of Royal Choirbook)

GB-Omc MS Lat. 267 (Part of Royal Choirbook)

GB-Ouc University College MS. 192 (Some leaves part of Royal Choirbook)

‡ 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.

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; concordances; facsimile; transcriptions (partial); texts (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Barker-Benfield, Bruce C. 1983. Notable Accessions: Western Manuscripts. The Bodleian Library Record, 11: 110-18. Pages: 110-4.

Bowers, Roger, and Andrew B Wathey. 1983. New Sources of English Fourteenth- and Fifteenth-Century Polyphony. Early Music History, 3: 123-73. Pages: 124.

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 vols. Neuhausen nr. Stuttgart: American Institute of Musicology, Hänssler Verlag.

Bent, Margaret. 1972. A Lost English Choirbook of the Fifteenth Century. International Musicological Society: Report of the Eleventh Congress, 257-62.

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Margaret Bent

Thursday, 3 January, 2019

DIAMM, 2016

Monday, 23 January, 2017

NB: Migrated from old site. Credit for notes may not be completely accurate. Notation Note; Ruling 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