Processional

F-sdyn

Toronto, ON, The Robertson Davies Library at Massey College, Gurney FF 0001

General Information

Title English Gradual in Latin
Material Parchment
Place of Origin England
Date of Origin 1230
General Remarks

Note from Otto Ege: Graduals are the books containing the chants for the celebration of the mass. English manuscripts of this early date and small size are rare. This volume, with the uncertain strokes in the script, seems to indicate that the transcriber was unaccustomed to writing in this small scale. There are four and five line staves, and the "F" and "C" lines are indicated. Most of the various foms of written notes can be found on each leaf of this book. Thos occurring more frequently are punctum (L. 'punctum', prick), a single note; virga (L. 'virga', rod), a square note with a thin line attached; podatus (L. 'pes', foot), two square notes, one above the other; climacus (L. 'climax', ladder), a virga note with two or more diamond shaped notes. There are other forms for particular nuances of expression.

There are more than 2,300 chants which have come down to us from the Middle Ages. The majority of these, however, can be reduced to a relatively few melodic types -- probably not exceeding fifty in all.

Original Condition

Page Height 185 mm
Page Width 123 mm
Height of Written Area 155 mm
Width of Written Area 25 – 105 mm
Number of Columns 1
Width of Columns 25 – 105 mm
Number of Lines 9 – 15
Line Height 5 mm
Ruling Yes
More about the Condition

Early Angular Gothic Script. Text alternates with some red gloss. On the margins there is minimal marginalia in brown-black ink. There is a small annotation at the bottom of the recto in black ink as well measuring 10 mm across and 2 mm in height. 

Current Condition

Dimensions 185 x 123 mm
More about the Current Condition

Page cut unevenly by Ege. Minimal dirt on margins from handling. Residual tape from mounting visible on the verso. 

Book Decoration and Musical Notation

Description

Ornamental initial in Blue on Recto with red decoration. Red ruling. Red gloss interspersed in three spots. Last inital on the recto is black and red and smudged. On Verso only a few letters are red. 

  • Musical Notation

    Square Gregorian Notation. Square neumes on four-line staves in red. 

  • Bibliography

    • Altstatt, Alison. “RE-MEMBERING THE WILTON PROCESSIONAL.” Notes (Music Library Association), vol. 72, no. 4, 2016, pp. 703-704.

    • Gwara, Scott. Otto Ege’s Manuscripts : A Study of Ege’s Manuscript Collections, Portfolios, and Retail Trade : With a Comprehensive Handlist of Manuscripts Collected or Sold. De Brailes Publishing, 2013.