Posted on 01/09/2025 1:37:20 PM PST by SunkenCiv
A fragment of “lost” music, discovered within the pages of Scotland’s first full-length printed book, is offering valuable insights into the sound of music from five centuries ago.
Experts from Edinburgh College of Art and KU Leuven in Belgium have been examining the origins of this musical score—comprising just 55 notes—to shed light on early sixteenth-century, pre-Reformation Scottish music.
Researchers describe the find as a rare glimpse into the musical practices of Scottish religious institutions 500 years ago. Notably, it is the only surviving piece of music from this era originating in the northeast of Scotland.
The scholars made the discovery in a copy of The Aberdeen Breviary of 1510, a collection of prayers, hymns, psalms, and readings used for daily worship in Scotland, including detailed writings on the lives of Scottish saints. Known as the ‘Glamis copy’ as it was formerly held in Glamis Castle in Angus, it is now in the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Despite the musical score having no text, title or attribution, researchers have identified it as a unique musical harmonisation of Cultor Dei, a night-time hymn sung during the season of Lent.
(Excerpt) Read more at scitechdaily.com ...
Looks like a palimpsest.
later
Lovely.
My friend would have been there just after he finished the British Commandos at the end of WWII and in Israel 1948, I loved hearing his pre war England stories of the old fashioned 1930s life, vehicles, and his machine shop work as a youth.
Nothing like a well aged haggis to tune up the vocal chords
Nowhere near as old, but this might interest you. I scanned Henry Livingston’s handwritten music manuscript book and transcribed the notes into Mozart, a musical transcription program. Got help since I can’t play an instrument from a musicology professor in a NY university. She taught me how to correct mistakes in a manuscript - SO MANY! I taught her how to transcribe her compositions into Mozart. We got thru about 1/2 of the manuscript before I moved onto another project.
The manuscript probably started near last quarter of 1700s. He joined the army under his cousin’s husband as a Major and was part of the 1775 invasion of Canada. One of the pages shows God Save the Queen crossed out and replaced with God Save the Congress.
One of his favorite sources was Richard Sheridan’s The Duenna. I purchased an original score and the YouTube link below is to the transcription from Henry’s music manuscript book followed by the transcription from the same song in The Duenna score.
Henry Livingston - Music Manuscript - Birks of Envermay - Page 49
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyIx1SlSys0
****
Another of my favorites I put up on YouTube:
Henry Livingston - Music Manuscript - Farewell to Lochabor - Alec Ramsay - Page 119-120
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3Y59foHMT0
I thought it was beautiful and it made me smile to listen to it. Thanks for posting.
Felix Mendelssohn wrote a symphony entitled “Scottish”.
It was inspired by a vacation he spent exploring old areas of that country. This piece, and a similar one named “Fingals Cave are dark, moody pieces full of turbulence. Both end up with sounds of jubilation and triumph.
I used to play that CD when I had long Quarterly Reports to produce for my job.
S.C. Mrs. Pete said “Great article! Really enjoyed!” and shipped it off to the Choir director at the church! (We assume this is not a periodical he normally reads.) Most of the things I send her are normally deleted once she reads the headline! :)
Excellent!
That’s one of my Scottish Pair. Fingals Cave has a sense of adventure and daring, especially in the first half.
:)
After playing it, they discovered that they had it upside down and backwards................(obscure Beethoven reference).......
After they played it, they promptly buried it again.............
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