14th/15th century psalter with hymnary from a Dominican Convent in Venice. After a series of hymn and Gloria patri tones, there are three monophonic, untroped Benedicamus Domino chants (on fol. 274v). These are followed by a two-voice setting of a Benedicamus Domino chant melody (Barclay no. 69), and the monophonic Benedicamus Domino trope Benedicamus in laude Ihesu (fols. 275r–v, here as ‘Benedicamus i laude yesus’), which is the final item in the book. The two-voice Benedicamus polyphony is the only polyphony in this source. It is notated in non-mensural square notation on a single stave, with the chant voice in black ink, and the added polyphonic voice in red ink. The presentation, context, and music of this two-voice Benedicamus closely resemble that on fol. 40r–v in the 15th-century Italian Domincan manuscript GB-Ob MS. Canon. Liturg. 291. In D-B Ham. 554 polyphony is provided simply for the text Benedicamus Domino (without any added Alleluias or any Deo gratias response). Its music is identical to the two-voice polyphony copied twice in GB-Ob MS. Canon. Liturg. 291, although the first three pitches of the polyphonic voice on the third and final system of D-B Ham. 554 have been omitted: a custos at the end of the second system prescribing the first notated pitch suggests that this error was not noticed or understood.

black and (for the two-voice piece) black and red, non-mensural square

4 or 5 red four-line systems per page

Discovered by Catherine A. Bradley, European Research Council-funded project BENEDICAMUS, July 2025.