GB-Ob MS. Mus. c. 60 is a miscellaneous collection of musical fragments from various periods (111 folios). Only a few carry polyphony, and these fall into two groups: 14th-century English fragments described here, and 15th-century continental fragments (see entry for MS. Mus. c. 60 (II) - 15th cent. fragments).

English musical flyleaves f. 79-85, which formed f. i-iii and 197-200 in ms Bodley 816, the main part of which relate to the Worcester fragments. Fols. 79 and 82-85 seem to belong together; in fact, f. 82-85 are from and still part of 1 fascicle. Fol. 80 and 81 are from 2 further manuscripts. Perhaps unique among the repertoire of motets is no. 13, one of the earliest imitations of bells in the history of part-music.

The musical fragments have the following measurements: f. 79: 250 x 148 mm., f. 80: 250 x 142 mm, f. 81: 252 x 135 mm, f. 82: 247 x 83 mm, f. 83: 272 x 193 mm, f. 84: 270 x 53 mm, f. 85: 247 x 190 mm

New covers of black cloth on cardboard

The main part of these fragments, which is related to the Worcester fragments, is written in English mensural notation with paired rhomboid breves indicating second mode. Typical square mensural notes with red-blue initials from the period c. 1300. There are no semibreves or minims, but c.o.p. ligatures are to be found. The verso of f. 80 is more recent than the rest, for it is in 14th century English discant style with breves, semibreves and smaller notes. The recto has staves of the same type and script as f. 79 and 82-85. Fol. 81 may well have been written before 1300 and comprises 1.5 pages of the original ms.

9 red five-line staves per page

79-85v, 86+87 r+v, 104 r+v

New pencil foliation, 1-111 (corpus);. reconstructed folio now numbered as f. 86 + 87. Original(?) folio number '63' still visible.

red-blue initials from the period c. 1300. Fol. 81 may well have been written before 1300; here the initials are entirely in blue with red filigree.

paper

RISM B/IV 1: This manuscript is a modern guardbook containing various musical oddments, most of them fairly recent. Fol. 79-86 are the only medieval pages, of which f. 79-85 are fragments of various sizes taken from ms Bodley 816 (MS. Mus.c.60 (I)) and f. 86 [see MS. Mus.c. 60 (II)] from printed book Auct. 4. Q. 5. 46. ... The English musical flyleaves f. 79-85 formed f. i-iii and 197-200 in ms Bodley 816, which contains the 6 books of the Epistolae or Dictamina by Petrus de Vineis written around the second quarter of the 14th century. There are among others 2 letters relating to Oxford on f. 121-144. The musical fragments have the following measurements: f. 79: 250 x 148 mm., f. 80: 250 x 142 mm., f. 81: 252 x 135 mm., f. 82: 247x83 mm., f. 83: 272 x 193 mm., f. 84: 270 x 53 mm., f. 85: 247 x 190 mm. Fols. 79 and 82-85 seem to belong together; in fact, f. 82-85 are from and still part of 1 fascicle. Fol. 80 and 81 are from 2 further manuscripts. The main part of these fragments, which is related to the Worcester fragments, has 9 red five-line staves per page and is written in typical square mensural notes with red-blue initials from the period c. 1300. There are no semibreves or minims, but c.o.p. ligatures are to be found. The verso of f. 80 is more recent than the rest, for it is in 14th century English discant style with breves, semibreves and smaller notes. This page also contains 9 red five-line staves, but the recto has 8 of the same type and script as f. 79 and 82-85. Fol. 81 may well have been written before 1300 and comprises 1.5 pages of the original ms ; now there are 6 red five-line staves per page, but originally there were more. Here the initials are entirely in blue with red filigree. Perhaps unique among the repertoire of motets is no. 13, one of the earliest imitations of bells in the history of part-music. The codex is housed in a modern black cloth binding over pulp boards.

RISM Supplement: OXFORD, BODLEIAN LIBRARY, MS Mus. c. 60, FOL. 104 s. xiii med.

1 fol. (fragmentary; foliated 104). Parchment. Now 127 x 160 mm; originally perhaps c. 320 x x 170 mm. Written space 130-134 mm wide. Ruling: at least six freely-ruled red five-line staves (10-11 mm); two six-line staves (13 mm) on fol. 104v. Script: gothica textualis quadrata, with some semi-quadrata elements. Notation: English mensural, with paired rhomboid breves indicating second mode. Decoration: plain red initial flourished in blue, over an erased stave (fol. 104r).

Written in England. Used as a rear pastedown in an unidentified binding, possibly of whittawed leather over wooden boards. 'Jesus' (s. xvi?) written sideways on fol. 104. Owned: Dr A. Molloy, Southmoor, Abingdon. Bought by the Bodleian Library, 5 June 1967.

NOTES ON CONTENTS

fol. 104r-v

Tr and part of Mot on recto; remainder of Mot and T on verso; partial éd. Lefferts,

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.

(relates to 15th century fragments only - see MS. Mus. c. 60 (II) - 15th cent. fragments)