This processional was written and notated in 1501 by Brother Peter of Soncino, subprior of the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria della Basella near Urgnano. It was commissioned by Sister Archangela de la Sale, daughter of the noble Merolfo de la Sale of Bergamo. An inscription records that the book was made for Sister Archangela’s personal use during her lifetime at the Dominican convent of Santa Marta in Bergamo, with the permission of the prioress, Sister Paola di Bari, after which it was to passed to the convent. Towards the end of the manuscript (fols. 158v–159r) is a three-voice setting of a Benedicamus Domino chant melody (Barclay no. 69), followed by four monophonic Benedicamus melodies (fols. 159v–160r). The three-voice Benedicamus polyphony is the only polyphony in this source. It is notated in non-mensural square notation. On fol. 159v, the upper voice is unlabelled and the voice below (carrying the chant melody) is labelled ‘tenor’; both are notated using C-clefs. On fol. 160r, a third voice, labelled ‘contra’, is the lowest voice and is notated using an F-clef. A fourth voice was later added above the ‘contra’ part on fol. 160r in black semi-mensural notation, but it is not compatible with the other three voices. Rusconi proposes that this three-voice setting may represent an adaptation of an original two-voice version, the more common form for polyphonic settings of this Benedicamus (also found in D-B Ham. 554).

Black non-mensural square

Five four-line systems per page

Only partial inventory provided here (focussing on polyphonic pieces/Benedicamus domino settings)