Folia with chants for Epiphany, Nativity, and St. Stephen

F-gmyn

Evanston, IL, Northwestern University, Music Library, MS 1600 (NW-S2-4)

General Information

Title Folia with chants for Epiphany, Nativity, and St. Stephen
Shelfmarks Evanston, Northwestern University, Music Library, MS 1600 (NW-S2-4)
Former Shelfmarks Music MS Box 2 (small)
Page/Folio Reference ff. 1r–2v
Material Parchment
Place of Origin likely Western Europe
Date of Origin 11th–12th century
Script, Hands

Main text hand: anonymous scribe, writing throughout in Protogothic (Praegothica) script. A possible second hand, also in Praegothica, may have supplied text beneath the neumes in certain sections.

General Remarks

Two folia, trimmed from their original bifolia, containing parts of the Proper of the Mass. The surviving chants span the fests of Epiphany (Vidimus stellam, Festa Christi sequence, Reges Tharsis), Nativity (Tui sunt caeli, Viderunt omnes), and St. Stephen (Etenim sederunt, sequence Propria ruit hostis). Margins preserve a narrow folded strip of the original shoulder, showing evidence of binding stress. Decoration is minimal, rubrics are abbreviated, and music was entered in two layers.

Book Decoration and Musical Notation

Description

Decoration is modest. Initials appear as litterae notabiliores in black ink highlighted with a red stroke; fol. 2v contains a larger, simple red initial. Rubrics are sparse, often abbreviated, and provide minimal liturgical or biblical references (e.g., “Secundum Matheum”). No penwork or ornament beyond functional marking.

  • Musical Notation

    Adiastematic neumes, written above the text without staff lines. Two phases are visible: A more deliberate layer of neumes, including compound signs, carefully pre-planned and aligned with the text. A lighter, perhaps later layer of puncta and virgae, possibly added to clarify performance for syllabic chant but less systematically placed.