Choral music, music sung by a choir with two or more voices assigned to each part. This pairing accounts for the expansion of the traditional fivepart ensemble in these pieces. Thanks to its survival, the sacred music of the english fifteenthcentury is still with us, conjuring up the atmosphere and spirit of the glorious cathedrals for which it was written. I will likely be without reliable or possibly any internet access apr 2328, 2012. Wylkynson became parish clerk of eton in 1496, then in 1500 he was promoted to informator the master of the choristers. Founded in 1973, it remains the journal for anyone interested in early music and how it is being interpreted today. The awardwinning fullcolour facsimile edition of eton college library ms. We are delighted to announce the release today of our latest recording of music from the eton choirbook, the gate of glory avie. Contributions from scholars and performers of international standing explore every aspect of earlier musical repertoires, present vital new evidence for our understanding of. It is difficult to believe that any 15th or 16th century choir could have sung this music with the refined blend, the rich tone. Early music is a stimulating and richly illustrated journal that is unrivalled in its field. Celebrating the eton choirbook early music oxford academic. Chandos records is one of the worlds premier classical music record companies, best known for its ground breaking search for neglected musical gems. Choral music ranks as one of several musical genres subject to.
Thomas morleys manual a plaine and easie introduction to practicall. The choirbook was compiled between approximately 1500 and 1505 fo. The eton choirbook, one of only three such books along with the lambeth choirbook and the caius choirbook to survive from prereformation england, is a large manuscript collection of marian antiphons, magnificat settings and other motets assembled for, and still held at, eton college. The eton choirbook eton ms 178 is a volume of manuscript music created between 1500 and 1504 for use in religious services in eton college chapel. Finally, theres robert wylkyson, who served, as davy did, as an instructor of choristers, but at eton from 1500 to 1515. The manuscript in turn has become eponymous with its parent institution, eton college. For the 4voice setting of gaude flore virginali from book iii, see gaude flore virginali turges, edmund for the voice setting of jesus autem transiens from book vii see jesus autem transiens wilkinson, robert. It originally contained music by 24 different composers. By the 1440s, however, archbishop thomas cranmer was consolidating the liturgy of the english church into english with his book of common prayer. The large and handsome volume played an integral part in the worship of the chapel of the kings college of our lady of eton beside windsor, resting open on a lectern whilst.
The eton choirbook digital image archive of medieval music. Movementssectionsmovtssecs, 64 pieces 93 originally. It captures a soundworld of late medieval england which would otherwise have been lost to silence. It has its beauties, but few on the continent would consider it a way forward. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. At the very end of the book is this very unusual pieceout of. It is one of three large choirbooks surviving from earlytudor england. As roger bray has shown, oxford and cambridge were unique among european universities in combining choral provision in the form of college choirs with the. Even in its incomplete state nearly half of its original 224 leaves have been lost, the eton choirbook is the undoubted queen of. The leather binding of the choirbook is stamped with the tudor rose and the. The eton choirbook embodies the rituals and practice of eton college chapel as a popular pilgrimage site at the height of prereformation piety. The choirbook is a volume of manuscript music created between 1500 and 1504 for use in religious services in eton college chapel.
Cheung n interesting phenomenon in the history of music is that many pieces now regarded as great compositions had suffered long periods of neglect before. History, style, and analysis of music from the eton choirbook vincent c. Click here to see volumes currently in preparation. He inherited a rich tradition of english church music as seen in the eton choirbook. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page.
On courts of heaven, their third volume of music from the eton choirbook, the choir of christ church cathedral, oxford, under the direction of stephen darlington, gives glorious performances of 15thcentury english sacred music by browne, fawkyner, hampton, turges and wylkynson. Blackwell companions to literature and culture this series offers comprehensive, newly written surveys of key periods and movements and certain major authors, in english literary. The gate of glory, the fifth volume in the critically acclaimed exploration of music from the eton choirbook by the choir of christ church cathedral, oxford and director stephen darlington, includes the world premiere recording of walter lambes gaude flore virginali, and a striking range of styles from harmony and counterpoint to elegance and simplicity. Pdf canon a from the eton choirbook robert wylkynson. One disc, let alone a whole series, is something to welcome especially when, as here, a generous number of new nuggets is mingled with the old chestnuts. Vocal polyphony under the tudors early music oxford. Music from the eton choirbook indiana public media.
Mackay, mode in the salve regina settings of the eton college choirbook. This piece is found in both the eton choirbook and the baldwin manuscript. The ostrich feather the rose and naxos music library. Eton choirbook first manuscript of music included in uk. They date from the reigns of the first tudor kings, henry vii r. Courts of heavenmusic from the eton choirbook, volume 3. Through its survival at the site for which it was made the choirbook gives us access to a form of worship and a musical tradition that was violently disrupted and almost obliterated by the reformation. Miraculously, the eton choirbook survived henry viiis ransacking of the monasteries.
Also, the itempost template which we use on these forums should only be used here, not on any other discussion pages, and new discussion should be added at the bottom of the page but here its added at the top. Eton college had originally been a chantry, an almshouse and a. Nov 26, the eton choirbook, one of only three such books along with the lambeth choirbook and the caius choirbook to survive from. This edition contained both the fully realized canon as. This means he would have known the choirbook when it was as yet new, and complete. Contents of the eton choirbook sorted initially by the order in which. The eton choirbook is a magnificent artefact, two feet tall and over three feet from side to side, it is one of the three collections of latin liturgical music with the lambeth choirbook and the caius choirbook to survive the systematic destruction of catholic religious imagery during the reformation. A study of the meaning of genesis on free shipping on qualifying offers.
The french contrive music in the newest manner for the new. The manuscript is also a work of consummate artistry, copied by an experienced scribe on large vellum leaves, and illuminated by a professional limner. Het koorboek van eton eton choirbook, eton college ms. He began his career before the onset of the english reformation, composing and playing organ for the latin liturgy. Choirs of angels music from the eton choirbook vol 2. A small but significant number of pieces surviving in the eton choirbook gbwrec 178 are based upon two cantus firmi. For instance, the celebrated eton choirbook, copied in. The choirbook is occasionally on display to the public please visit our access and exhibitions pages for more details. Complete transcription and reconstruction of the canon a for christ and his twelve disciples on the apostles creed. The eton choirbook contains an extraordinarily vast and diverse collection of english sacred music from the turn of.
It was one of very few collections of latin liturgical music to survive the reformation, and hence is an important source. A is his penchant for using large numbers of small penmovements, which combine to give his letters. The ostrich feather eton choirbook volume i coro the sixteen edition the eton choirbook an awardwinning series of cds from the sixteen the pillars of eternity eton choirbook volume iii cor16022 it is difficult to believe that any 15th or 16th century choir could have sung this music with the refined blend, the rich tone or the shapeliness. The eton choirbook eton ms 178 is a volume of manuscript music created. In rare instances, a publisher has elected to have a zero moving wall, so their current issues are available. The eton choirbook is a richly illuminated manuscript collection of english sacred music composed during the late 15th century. Half of it is actually missing from the eton choirbook, but fortunately the work survives complete in the lambeth choirbook.
Comparable effects may be found in music written for special occasions, oratorios, verse anthems, and settings of the. Music from the eton choirbook volume 5 and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The history and contents of the eton choirbook the present condition of the eton manuscript eton college library ms. The moving wall represents the time period between the last issue available in jstor and the most recently published issue of a journal. We have made all our coro and coro connections cd booklets available to download. The eton choirbook is a 500 year old manuscript of latin liturgical music from prereformation england, held, as you might expect, in the collections of eton college. Facsimile editions of early polyphonic sources are usually selfrecommending, but the longawaited eton choirbook, the first fruits in hard copy of the digital image archive of medieval music diamm, is especially welcome. Cpdl support, help, and feedback, rather than choralwiki.