[English Anthems and Services] Gibbons, Orlando. (1583–1625) & Lawes, Henry. (1596–1662) & Child, William. (1606/7–1697) & Blow, John. (1648/9–1708) & Aldrich, Henry. (1648–1710) etc.
Seventeenth-Century English Anthems and Services—Manuscript Partbook
Original manuscript partbook, containing bass parts to 38 verse anthems and pieces of church music by some of the most important English composers of the seventeenth century - including Thomas Wilkinson, Orlando Gibbons, Henry Lawes, Pelham Humfrey, Michael Wise, William Child, John Blow, and Henry Aldrich - as well as by a remarkable assortment of rarely attested composers including John Hutchinson (son of organist Richard Hutchinson, and organist of York Minster); Thomas Mudd (organist of Peterborough and Exeter cathedrals and of York Minster); William Tucker (Gentleman of the Chapel Royal); George Loosemore (organist of Jesus College and of Trinity College, Cambridge); Benjamin Rogers (organist at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford); Thomas Tudway (Professor of Music at Cambridge); John Badger; and William Ottis (alias Otty or Ottey). Stamped or inscribed on the covers with "BASSUS CANTORIS" (the bass of the cantor's side, rather than the dean's side, of the choir in the English cathedral tradition), this book was in active use at an English cathedral.The volume is dated and initialed "C. I. H. Decem. 31 1699" to one of the front free endpapers and it is possible that some of the writing dates from a somewhat earlier or later period. Multiple hands are evident, including square and round styles of notation. On verso of the final, trimmed leaf of service music: the addition in pencil of an untexted Anglican chant for SATB in B-flat major by Maurice Greene, matching an untitled version scored for organ from Hereford Cathedral, first half of 18th c., GB-H 30.A.30, p. 126. Text-block 8 × 12 1/4 inches (20 × 31 cm). Several pages missing or partially torn out. Pages neatly ruled 10 staves to the page. Fully notated with text underlay. Most titles at the head of each piece with the composer's name at conclusion. Music has been copied into the book from both ends. One end of the book contains anthems, unpaginated, pp. [1]–[28]; reversed, the book contains services, unpaginated, pp. [1]–[22]. Complete contents and composers, where legible, listed below.
Leaves written from front cover: Anglican anthems
p. [1] O how amiable—John Blow (1648/9–1708)
p. [2] If the Lord himself had not been on our side—Henry Aldrich (1648–1710)
p. [4] O praise the Lord all ye heathen—anonymous
p. [5] Awake up my glory—Michael Wise (c.1647–1687)
p. [6] I will magnify thee, O God my King—William Tucker (d.1679)
p. [8] Let God arise—anonymous
p. [11] Rejoice in the Lord—Pelham Humfrey (1647/8–1674)
p. [12] O God wherefore art thou absent from us—John Blow (1648/9–1708)
p. [13] Glorious and powerful God—Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625)
p. [14] O Lord thou hast searched me out—Thomas Wilkinson (fl. ?1575–?1612)
p. [17] This is the day that the Lord hath made—William Tucker (d.1679)
p. [18] The Lord liveth, and blessed be—Henry Lawes (1596–1662)
p. [21] Zadok the Priest—Henry Lawes (1596–1662)
p. [22] Prepare—Michael Wise (c.1647–1687)
p. [23] O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness—George Loosemore (1619–1682)
p. [24] Psalm 15, Lord who may abide—Thomas Mudd (d.1667)
p. [25] Psalm 13, How Long—Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625)
p. [25] Psalm 51, Have mercy—William Ottis (fl. 17th c.)
p. [26] O Lord, let it be thy pleasure—John Hutchinson (d. c.1657)
p. [27] Awake, awake, put on thy strength—Michael Wise (c.1647–1687)
Leaves written from back cover: Anglican services
p. [1] Jubilate—Benjamin Rogers (1614–1698)
p. [1] Hymnus Apocalipticus—anonymous
p. [3] Out of the Deep—John Hutchinson (d. c.1657)
p. [4] My song shall be of mercy—Henry Lawes (1596–1662)
p. [5] We praise thee O God— anonymous
p. [6] O be joyfull in the Lord all ye lands—anonymous
p. [7] Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis—anonymous
p. [9] Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis—John Badger (fl. 17th c.)
p. [11] Blessed is the people O Lord—Thomas Tudway (c.1650–1726)
p. [12] Psalm 124 if the Lord himself—William Child (1606/7–1697)
p. [13] I will always give thanks—Thomas Mudd (d.1667)
p. [14] Evening service—Henry Aldrich (1648–1710)
p. [15] Evening service—Benjamin Rogers (1614–1698)
p. [17] Te Deum—John Badger (fl. 17th c.)
p. [19] Lord, teach us—Pelham Humfrey (1647/8–1674)
p. [20] Teach us, O Lord—Benjamin Rogers (1614–1698)
p. [21] Have mercy upon us O God—Pelham Humfrey (1647/8–1674)
p. [22] Untitled—Maurice Greene (1696–1755)
Laid in loosely, a table of contents consisting of anthems and page numbers entitled "Anthems & Services," heavily worn, tear repaired with needle and thread, not corresponding to the present volume. Inscriptions to endpapers of present volume: name "George Holo.”, incipits ("Be it Known", "The Lord is King"), ledger of numbers, and graffiti. Contemporary dark brown leather boards, "CAN" stamped on front and rear, with "BASSUS" added in ink; border in blind tooling around the edges, with floral ornaments stamped in four corners. Boards rather heavily worn and warped; internally worn and toned, but structurally sound, very legible throughout, and overall very good.
We are aware of very few manuscripts comparable in origin and repertoire to have come on the market in recent decades; similar partbooks are attested in RISM, including from the cathedrals of Durham and Hereford. The present manuscript is a new and apparently unrecorded source of seventeenth-century English music and certainly worthy of further research. (18207)
Classical Music Manuscript Music