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Melodic traditions in medieval English antiphoners

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2009

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Extract

Thomas Cranmer's Preface to the 1549 Book of Common Prayer pointed out the “great diversity in saying and singing in churches within this realm”, and this comment was no less applicable to earlier medieval England, which presented a patchwork of some eight-hundred religious communities scattered throughout the country, working under various religious Rules, and often following diverse liturgies.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Plainsong and Medieval Music Society 1982

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References

Notes

1 Harrison, Douglas: The First and Second Prayer Books of Edward VI (London, 1910, repr. 1968), p.4 Google Scholar.

2 At one time no fewer than twenty-eight religious foundations were to be found within a twenty-mile radius of medieval Oxford. See Guillemain, B.: ‘Chiffres et statistiques pour l'histoire ecclésiastique du Moyen Age’, Le Moyen Age, 59 (1953), pp.341–65Google Scholar; Knowles, David and Hadcock, R. Neville: Medieval Religious Houses: England & Wales (London, 1953)Google Scholar.

3 See Frere, Walter Howard: ‘The connexion between English and Norman rites’. Journal of Theological Studies, 4 (1903), pp.206–13Google Scholar; reprinted in Frere, Walter Howard: A Collection of his Papers on Liturgical and Historical Subjects, ed. Arnold, J.H. and Wyatt, E.G.P., Alcuin Club Publications, vol.35 (London, 1940)Google Scholar.

4 John Wickham Legg made this important observation in his study of the proper prayers of mass in the ‘Lytlington Missal’ of Abbey, Westminster: Missale ad usum ecclesie Westmonasteriensis, Henry Bradshaw Society (London, 18911896), vols. 1, 5 and 12, especially vol.12, pp.1417–8Google Scholar.

5 Antiphonale Sarisburiense, ed. Frere, Walter Howard (London, 19011924, repr. Farnborough, 1966) [facsimile]Google Scholar.

6 Hughes, Anselm: The Portiforium of St.Wulstan, Henry Bradshaw Society, vols. 89–90 (Leighton Buzzard, 1956–7) [edition of text]Google Scholar.

7 This source has since been the subject of an M.Mus. dissertation by Wilton, P.J.: The Leofric Collectar (London, British Library, Harley 2961) (University of London, King's College, 1983)Google Scholar, which suggests its adherence to the group of monastic sources.

8 Le Graduel Romain: 4. Le groupement des Manuscrits (Solesmes 1960)Google Scholar.

9 For complete transcriptions of all antiphons investigated, see my M.Mus. thesis: The Guisborough Compendium and its place in the liturgies of medieval England (University of London, 1981), Appendix G.2Google Scholar.

10 Hesbert, René-Jean: Corpus Antiphonalium Officii, vol.5 (Rome, 1975), especially pp.477–80Google Scholar. See also Hesbert, 's article ‘Les antiphonaires monastiques insulaires’, Revue Bénédictine, 112 (1982), pp.358–75Google Scholar.

11 Hesbert, René-Jean: ‘The Sarum antiphoner – its sources and influence’, Journal of the Plainsong & Mediaeval Music Society, 3 (1980), pp.4955 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

12 Hiley, David: ‘The Norman chant traditions – Normandy, Britain, Sicily’, Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, 107 (19801981), pp.133, especially Diagram 5 on p.30CrossRefGoogle Scholar.