Vespers etc

Description
Antiphonary with chants for the Catholic evening service of Vespers, notated in square neumes. The antiphons are divided into three categories, roughly following editions of service books for the evening office printed in the 18th century: the Proper for Sundays, chants to be used on Sundays through the year (arranged here according to the calendar year, from Epiphany through Advent); the Common of saints, chants to be used for the feasts of saints of various categories (martyr, confessor, bishop, virgin) who do not have specific antiphons in the third category; and chants for the feasts of a few particular saints (a very limited number here compared to the printed editions, arranged here starting at Christmas and breaking off at the Feast of Saint John the Baptist (June 24)). Only antiphons and hymns appear in the manuscript, with notes for the psalm tones to be used for the Vespers psalms (109, Dixit Dominus; 110, Confitebor; 111, Beatus vir; 112, Laudate pueri; and 113, In exitu Israel) and the Magnificat. The paper of gatherings 1-4 and the last two leaves is cream-colored; the paper of gatherings 5-12 and the first leaf of gathering 13 is coarser and has a slight blue or green tinge, but the ruling is consistent throughout.
Creator
Catholic Church
Form
manuscripts (documents)
codices (bound manuscripts)
Antiphonaries (Service books)
Gregorian chants
Manuscripts, European
Date
1760
Language
English
Latin
Subject
Catholic Church -- England -- Liturgy -- Texts
Catholic Church -- England -- History -- 18th century -- Sources
Vespers (Music) -- England -- Early works to 1800
Geographic Subject
England -- Church history -- 18th century -- Sources
Collection
Otto E. Albrecht Memorial Fund
Faye and Gerson Blatnick Special Collections Fund
Extent
75 leaves : paper ; 255 x 190 (235 x 173) mm bound to 260 x 200 mm.
Notes
Ms. codex.
English, with Latin chant texts.
Title from title page (p. iii).
Table of contents: 1. p.1-41: [Proper for Sundays] -- 2. p.42-72: [Common of saints] -- 3. p.72-106: [Proper for the feasts of saints (incomplete)].
Collation: Paper, i + 75 leaves; 1-12⁶ 13⁶⁻³(-4, -5, -6); contemporary pagination in ink, modern pagination in pencil, [i-iv], 1-146 (107-146 blank), upper outer corners. The first recto and last verso of each gathering are marked with a 4 in ink, lower center.
Layout: Written in up to seven four-line staves with chant texts below; staves and vertical bounding lines ruled in red ink; horizontals for text without chants ruled in lead; quarto format.
Script: Written in a cursive script by multiple hands, possibly three (p. 1-9, 9-72, 72-106), and square neumes (filled p. 1-73, outlined p. 73-105).
Binding: Contemporary (18th-century) quarter sheep with paste paper over boards; minor damage to leather at head of spine
Origin: Probably written in England, circa 1760 (Gedge).
Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Otto E. Albrecht Memorial Fund.
Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Faye and Gerson Blatnick Special Collections Fund.
Related works
Digital facsimile for browsing (Colenda)
The Faye and Gerson Blatnick Special Collections Fund Home Page
The Otto E. Albrecht Memorial Fund Home Page
Also listed in
Penn Libraries Catalog
Physical Location
Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Codex 2054
Provenance
Sold by Samuel Gedge Ltd. (Hanworth, England), Firsts Online catalog (2020 September 10-14), number 9.
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

The Penn Libraries is committed to producing, preserving, and providing access to knowledge. We make materials accessible to improve information equity and enhance teaching, research, and learning. Some materials may be considered offensive and do not represent opinions, values, positions or norms that are held by the University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Where possible, we strive to present these materials within the historical or cultural context they were created by providing descriptive information.

Digital Collections

Home About Collections A to Z