A Discussion Concerning the Winchester Gradual in Harley 110
(Mass for the Tuesday in Passion Week, Winchester, 11th Century)
A Research Essay
fulfilling requirements for
MUSIC 747 - BMus (Hons)
University of Auckland
2009
submitted by
Gillian Lander
5134796
A DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE WINCHESTER GRADUAL IN HARLEY 110 (Mass for the Tuesday of Passion Week, Winchester)
Gillian Lander 5134796 MUSIC 747 2009 Auckland University
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Contents
I – An exploration of the Introit and the neumes involved across the various sources...... p2 II – A consideration of the neumes in the Communion – which lacks Winchester...... p10 III – A comparison of significant melismatic passages and the Gradual neumes in the sources. . .p15 IV- A detailed exploration of the Anglo-Saxon neumes in the whole available Winchester work. p24 V – Summary and conclusions...... p30
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Preface Some things never change. It is clear to me that with a lifetime of involvement with psalmody, albeit mainly Anglican chant and in Coverdale‟s English, the approach of any modern choral director teaching chant, differs little from that of the choir trainer of a thousand years back. First of all the singers must know the tune – (or the harmony) by heart, and that secure, all attention can be given to the many nuances afforded by the text, because conveying the full sense of that is the most important task. And this gives rise to a psalter filled with detailed 2B pencil markings to aid this interpretation. Some of these marks are not so different from that of our early neumes, but the singers of the tenth century did not have the same text availability. The issue of the neumes being used as we understand modern notation for singers, or as reminders for cantors with immense memory skills, can be explored later.
The Harley 110 manuscript containing the Winchester Propers of the Mass, the starting point for this essay, date from the mid 11th century scriptorium at Winchester, about which little is known, and contain examples of Anglo-Saxon neumes. They are parchments of 265 x 120 mm, with twenty lines of text and neumes using 210 x 100mm on the page, which is roughly our A5 size but much longer, so it was a book for personal reference perhaps for the cantor or choir trainer, rather than group use. Catalogue information from the British Library states that this particular manuscript belong to Part 2 ff 1r-v; 56r-v. and are „leaves from an English Antiphonal from the first half of the 11th century‟. The whole collection comes from the Benedictine Abbey of Christ Church Canterbury, (which is not St Augustine‟s Monastery, which was almost next door).1 And consequently these documents may have escaped both Henry VIII‟s attention with the dissolution of monasteries, and later, Cromwell‟s attention, as the cathedral was the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and perhaps off limits, and from thence via Sir Simonds d‟Ewes (d 1650) and others to Robert Harley (d 1724) to become foundation manuscripts of the British Library Collection. They are written in a confident, strongly formed hand with sufficient spacings between the individual words for fairly easy reading, and show some attempt to provide extra space for the melodic embellishments as neumes. The scribe has also
1 Christ Church Canterbury is the Cathedral Church. St Augustine‟s Monastery was nearby, and consequently had a close working relationship with the cathedral, certainly on special occasions such as the visit of the Holy Roman Emperor in 1416. 2. provided good space between the lines of text for the vertical full use of neumes. There was planning and understanding evident, perhaps not a lot of experience of music, but with the seeds of the notion that melodic outlines rise and fall, and syllables are embellished by music.
Neumations for this one Mass Proper have been sourced from Laon 239 and Einseideln from Palaeographie Musicale, Chartres 47, Noyon, Montpellier/Dijon, Harley 110 (Winchester), Sarum Antiphoner, Hansen‟s transcription of Dijon, and the Graduale Triplex containing copies of Laon and Einseideln neumes alongside the Solesmes square-noted edition. The Hansen and the Graduale Triplex and Offertoriale Triplex are used as points of reference and comparison. Samples clipped from these are inserted into the text for discussion. Each of the genres will be considered in turn.
Chartres 47 is a 10th century manuscript and uses Breton notation, and according to Cardine (p10) presents some rhythmic signs too.2 The sample has small condensed text with negligible gaps between words and no space for melodic embellishments but for the space between lines of text, and has lost definition over the centuries. The Noyon manuscript has likewise suffered with time, and the scribe has left no gaps between words, and no allowance for melodic shape. It is a descendant of the Laon neumes (Noyon being but a day‟s horseride from Laon) according to Hiley (discussing a later manuscript from Noyon)3 All of these monastic scriptoria were located in the north of France, basically Ile de France, and were either Cluniac or at least Benedictine houses – all of them not far from houses in the south of England – but a day‟s sailing. At a little distance, in central France was the monastery at Dijon, in the mountains up the Rhône Valley. Chant was provided for these monks in the Tonary of St Benigne, with a notation that differs again. The original Dijon neumes and its transcription by Hansen are included, as are Einsiedeln and Laon neumes with their Solesmes transcription. Einsiedeln was a monastery in Switzerland not far from St Gall and used the St Gall notation.
The task of this essay is to explore the similarities and differences in notation and performance practice suggested by these manuscripts, (to build familiarity with the notation) and to draw some conclusions about the influences upon Anglo-Saxon notation of the 11th century, exemplified by Winchester, and to outline some of the finer interpretations of these particular neumes. However, as this project progressed, it changed focus somewhat as a part of the Winchester Mass Proper is unable to be accessed, and whereas Chartres 47 was included in the first part, it has been replaced by Klosterneuberg in Part II, and later attention was drawn to the implications of Anglo-Saxon neumation.
Part I – An exploration of the Introit and the neumes involved across the various sources
The text, „Expecta Dominum viriliter age: et confortetur cor tuum, et sustine Dominum’, comes from Psalm 26:14 Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord. (Vulgate variant: Expecta Dominum confortare et roboretur cor tuum et sustine Dominum) The Winchester Gradual has had the left hand margin cut so „Exp-“ is missing with its first neume. The Introit is in the authentic mixolydian mode – with a modest range from F to e. The first half of the melody is simple neumatic writing anchored about d, and falls to final G with somewhat more
2 Cardine, E. 1970. Gregorian Semiology. Solesmes p10 3 Hiley,D. 1997. Western Plainchant, a handbook. Oxford. p411
3. embellishment in the second half, so the simple neumes and more complex neumes are both evident. In none of the examples is anything more given of the related psalm than an incipit for the priest or cantor(s)
Expecta dominum viriliter age
The First Phrase – Expecta dominum viriliter age
< the RHS margin neumes here from pt Dňs are the incipit for the psalm verse to follow. Or saecula seculorum. An aide memoire.
Ex. 1 Winchester
The neumes in this example are all written in a line level with the lower case text, in a hand that can differentiate thick and thin lines, at a slight inclination from the vertical, (in fact parallel to the Noyon example below) and the first phrase shows the clivis and torculus, and both forms of the single note virga and punctum. The torculus over dominum bears an uncanny resemblance to a modern quaver, and resembles those in a later Noyon manuscript (BL Egerton 857 fo.52v ).4 So there is a genealogical link to Laon, though the comparable Laon 239 neume is an extraordinary formation (nicknamed an “escargot” by Rankin).5 There is no tractulus or episema evident, so the punctum and virga operate with no reference to duration, but do differentiate stepwise pitch, as with „dominum viriliter’. All this resembles the GT reading.
The torculus stresses the first syllable naturally and the punctum following The punctum, virgae outline the rise and dance lightly over the next syllables fall of the melody which could be sung marking the meaning of manliness. Ex.2 Winchester
The neumes operating above bear a relationship to those in the older Noyon manuscript with the same text here. Again a very similar torculus and the virga hinting at pitch over viriliter.
Ex.3 Noyon
4 Hiley,D. 1997 Western Plainchant, A Handbook p410-411 a facsimile of a page from a Noyon Gradual. 5 Rankin,S. The Escargot of Laon - The title of a conference paper given in January 2009 but as yet unpublished. 4.
Of equally venerable age is the manuscript Chartres 47, in Breton notation according to Cardine.6 The hand betrays less assurance with musical script. Where the previous scripts showed virga and punctum in the opening phrase, here it‟s the tractulus marking a lengthening of the words, underlining „waiting upon the Lord‟. There is a rather mean, squarish and truncated clivis and torculus, but the hint of melodic outline with virga and punctum over viriliter is discernable.
Ex.4 Chartres 47
Einsiedeln (Ex. 5 below) uses the notation of St Gall, again but a horseride distant so there must have been contact between the two scriptoria. This same fragment bears crude decoration of uncial, not the work of a gifted calligrapher, but a working document nevertheless. The lines of text are well spaced to accommodate neumes, and again the melodic outline of viriliter is suggested with the use of virga and punctum. The clivis over “pec” bears two “s” / “r” marks (sursum- ascend higher) and this would have served to remind the cantor to leap a fourth from the opening note to C, the common reciting note. Dominum bears a simple torculus..
torculus over “dom”
Ex. 5 Einsiedeln
Laon 239 (9th century) had an idiosyncratic formation of neumes. I have yet to discover why this differs from that of Noyon which is so close by. The opening of the Introit is thus:
porrectus
Ex.6 Laon
The Laon punctum, called uncinus now, has a different shape, and requires more written hand action than the dot or dash of other styles. The neumes run on a level above the text except sometimes where a rise and fall in melody is suggested. Viriliter is outlined for such. The curious modified Laon torculus sits over “pec” and its more basic form over “dominum” so there is variation in detail of melodic outline between scriptoria.
6 Cardine,E. 1970. Gregorian Semiology (trans. R M Fowells), Solesmes.
5
Then from a quite different angle comes the example from Montpellier/Dijon. This work dating from the 11th century, has sparsely drawn neumes with vertical orientation, set above a line of alphabetical notation to define pitch. The scribe has spaced his words for the music, setting syllables apart where need be, and leaving ample space for embellishment, and the lines of text are sufficiently wide apart to give the two lines of musical notation due space. The scribe is not a gifted calligrapher but it is readable. He has a preference for virga, but he will use the punctum and tractulus, distinguishing light from heavier emphasis. The lettering in the first phrase fixes a stepwise movement. This lettering runs: f-g-h-i-k-l-m, part of a double octave system of note names running from low a to p, (A-a‟ in modern terms) discussed in Hiley.7
Near vertical virga, extended torculus. clivis and torculus Lettering g-m kk= double duration
Ex. 7 Dijon
The Sarum Antiphoner example (7 below) of the same fragment has square notation on four (usually) staff lines with a C clef. The scribe has ruled the page throughout for the text, and has subdivided these lines for staves. Sometimes he seems unsure which lines are the four to be used. In transcribing the melody into this notation, the nuances of duration, stress and verbal sense that have been variously suggested in the older neumes, have been lost, in favour of defined pitch. The text concedes nothing to the music notation at this point. Arabesques can be cramped over a syllable – as over “age” below. The Winchester version and the later Sarum both suggest the same outline at this point.
The scribe has a style The last syllable of that has yet to decide expecta, second syllable finally what constitutes of viriliter, first and last „on the line‟ or „in a of age, lengthened by space‟. the added tail.
Ex 7. Sarum
et confortetur cor tuum
The second phrase of the Introit, et confortetur cor tuum, draws a little more embellished writing.
In Winchester we find:
Ex. 7 Winchester
7 Hiley.D. Op cit. p387 6.
Here first, is the light liquesecent cephalicus over „&‟(to give a slight emphasis to the first note and lightness to the second) a simple punctum followed by virga suggesting a step up, a podatus over „te‟, the strong syllable, but no real indication of the size of the leap, and back down via a punctum. Tuum has a torculus and an extension – maybe distropha. At this point all sorts of discrepancies show up in the other examples.
Ex. 8 Noyon
Noyon (above) - et has a cephalicus. con clearly has a virga rise, but the two dots alongside may just be unrelated marks on the paper. Tuum has a longer first note, a squared podatus, and is followed by a tristropha at a lower pitch. On both occasions where the squared podatus is used in Noyon, the GT version contains a leap up of a 4th.
Ex. 9 Chartres
Chartres – Here et appears to use a virga and cephalicus, and the subsequent virga, tractulus, and podatus vaguely rise and fall. Tuum has a tractulus suggesting that the first note is lengthened, then rises and falls back to a lengthened tristropha.
Ex. 10 Einsiedeln
Einsiedeln – Instead of a cephalicus, there is an augmented virga over et, and a drop to a punctum. Over „cor‟ is a virga strata, the „c‟ just discernable above, a quickened lighter movement. Tuum has a punctum then torculus unlike Laon, then a distropha over the last syllable, effectively a tied note, treated so in the Solesmes performance style.
Ex. 11 Laon
Laon – There is a cephalicus over et, “dance over this word,” and a vague pitch outline over confortetur. Over tuum- is a strong higher podatus leap and „normal‟ (n) duration indication and two puncta with tractulus then uncinus, all meaning the melody had a sustained moment with „u‟ rather than „um‟ as opposed to the distropha in G. 7.
Ex.12 Dijon
Dijon – The cephalicus over et drops a third (h-f). The mark over the letters (arrowed) perhaps also suggests a lightening of the second note. A similar mark also sits over the i-k of cor, suggesting the second note k be lighter, leading to a natural emphasis on tuum. In the Hansen transcription, the first example of this becomes a liquescent note, and the second example does not feature. Then following is the first quilisma in the neumes which follows down from a podatus, the pitches exactly defined, to cover the semitone c-b/ k-i. And a tractulus/oriscus like mark sits over the letters to be discussed below. Hansen has quilisma sitting thereafter on all the b/i notes.
Ex. 13 Sarum
Sarum – The lengthening or lightening of emphasis is no longer apparent, while pitch is unambiguous, despite the scribe‟s foibles over on-line/space issues. The quilisma again does not feature.
„Tuum‟ / “tuam” in the above examples has afforded particular interest. There are subtle variations in melodic outline, and of stress and duration. Tuum at phrase-end has embellishment underlining your heart. Here is the first use of distropha and tristropha which are effectively tied notes, and quilisma. Because the Dijon example has a mark on the pitch alphabet line as well where the scribe writes a quilisma, this suggests to me that quilisma is a pitch performance issue, and could well be a microtonal slide such as still exists in the chant of the Chaldean Syrian Orthodox Church, whose living chant has remained an oral tradition even today ever since the time of St Ephraim (4th century). The sound is part moan, part wail, and having started such chant, there are more in the last phrase of this work. Interestingly there are two different pitch profiles for tuum. That of Dijon, transcribed in Hansen, has the neumes come to rest on b, whereas GT rests on C. This is an interesting detail which differs again in Sarum (above), where there is effectively a changing note figure about C. The Dijon community, while in central France, was close to the Rhone River running south to the Mediterranean, and may have had more contact with the other Christians about the Mediterranean. Hansen has discussed the dual notation of the Dijon work, and draws attention to its sensitivity to microtones with the quilismas, (including those descending) and also discrimination of b/bflat (as i/i ) in its alphabetical notation.8 The ears of those living about the Mediterranean must have been especially discriminating of microtones as they will have had occasional contact with both Byzantine and Arabic music.
8 Hansen, F.E. ed. 1974. Tonary of St Bénigne of Dijon, Copenhagen pp 16, 29, 51 8. et sustine Dominum
The final phrase of the introit – et sustine Dominum - becomes rather more melismatic, and there are quite some differences in outline and detail between the scriptoria. Sustine has much of this embellishment to highlight the meaning, ie to „wait upon the Lord.‟ The Winchester example with an inappropriately placed blot is as follows:
Ex. 14 Winchester
The phrase opens with two porrectus at similar pitch that seem to have evolved from the St Gall neume, now elongated as if two parallel virga. Three quilismas are noted, the first between a punctum and virga over ti-, and the second following a podatus subbipunctis on ne, and the third on the middle syllable of dominum, a quilisma then torculus resupinus. Finally there is a clivis on the last syllable.
Detail in variation in the other examples seems to centre over the use of quilisma and the opening porrectus.
Ex.15 Noyon
Noyon – The opening two porrectus are not unlike the Anglo-Saxon neume, upright parallel lines, and may be possibly be interpreted as the second setting higher than the first, or taking a bigger step. The melisma over –tine clearly shows two quilismas, the first between two virga, the second following a pes subbipunctis (which has a lengthened first note.) The neume shape here seems to be unique, but with a suggestion of what is being attempted in the Dijon script below. Dominum begins with a punctum on the level, and then another punctum leads to a quilisma, and the curious double tail which must represent the falling two notes of a climacus. A clivis finishes the figure. The GT version has two porrectus but not at the same pitch, and two of the next quilismas, but none on dominum.
Ex. 16 Chartres
Chartres – There are two porrectus again but no further detail over et sus. The melisma over –tine does not bear the same detail as other samples. With high resolution/enlargement of jpeg, there is a possible quilisma (arrowed, maybe more enlargement might clarify this), and there is a kind of podatus and a falling duplet. Dominum begins with a tractulus, then scandicus/climacus, a virga and finally a torculus. This chant seems to not be as defined as the others. 9.
Ex. 17 Einsiedeln
Einsiedeln – The two opening porrectus are on a level, but the first has „c‟ above (celeriter) and the s/r meaning higher. It is difficult to discern what the marks above and below this second neume might be. The second syllable –ti bears a virga and lengthened trisptropha and it does not look like the transcription of a quilisma shown in GT. Then the melisma continues below the text, (2nd clip) a trap for the unwary, and these two neumes are as transcribed. The first is a podatus subtripunctis marked with episema to lengthen the two notes and the following three falling are also marked with tractulus – all highlighting the meaning „ wait upon the Lord‟. The next bears a quilisma leading to a podatus subbipunctis. Dominus uses what seems to be a mixture of either a scandicus with episema, or climacus. The last syllable is a lengthened clivis.
Ex. 18 Laon
Laon- The second porrectus is set markedly lower than the first, and this is reflected in the GT square note transcription being a tone lower, but in fact the hand transcription of Laon in GT barely shows the difference. There is a Laon quilisma following the uncinus on –ti-, and this rolls on to a melisma stacked above this using a pes subbipunctis, leading directly to yet another quilisma and pes subbipunctis. Dominum begins with an uncinus, moving to a scandicus and two falling uncinus, which may also be a podatus subbipunctis as in GT, and then a clivis to cadence.
Ex. 19 Dijon
Dijon – There is but one porrectus which sits over „&’, while sus has a punctum, quilisma and virga. Over –tine is a single virga step, a torculus leading to several quilismas – three in a row going up and down, and shown thus in Hansen‟s transcription. The bold black dot over these, I think, relates in ink strength to an insertion in the line above. Several scribes were at work here. Pitch is clearly stated along with the performance of quilismas at other points. Dominum has space for its melisma, A downward quilisma follows the scandicus, then a clivis, and a final clivis over the last syllable. Notably, the quilismas invariably occur at the b-c (i) semitone.
10.
Ex. 20 Sarum
Sarum – There is but one porrectus again, over et, and sus has two clivis running stepwise g to c. The quilisma detail of Dijon or second porrectus of Noyon has gone. The melodic outline is reduced over – tine to the briefest of melisma. Not a great deal is made of waiting upon the Lord. Dominum appears now with a punctum, a podatus, climacus, punctum and clivis.
My thought so far, in view of these examples, is that the Anglo-Saxon script of the Winchester Gradual in Harley owes much to that of Noyon, with a hint of Dijon especially in the placement of quilismas around the b-c semitone in formation with the podatus subbipunctis, and not a lot of reference to the style of Laon. This is somewhat more specific than Rankin who supports the influence of northern French manuscripts on the Anglo-Saxon.9 In the preface to her edition of the Winchester Troper she writes:
At some point in the later tenth century, knowledge of a way of notating music practised in northern France was learnt in England. Then, in a prominent insular centre (able to communicate its new knowledge of musical notation to other centres) a way of using that French model was developed in a calligraphically very distinctive form. The chances that the centre was Winchester are high: a number of the extant notated sources using this type of notation and copied before the middle of the eleventh century have a Winchester origin or connection.
Part II - The Communion neumes compared (though lacking Winchester).
Chartres 47 has been abandoned for this examination, and replaced by Klosterneuberg as a manuscript of similar age and stage to Sarum. The text for this part of the Proper is short and from Psalm 24(25) last verse. (Redeem me God of Israel from all my troubles. Redime me deus Israel ex omnibus angustus mei. ) One can only think that from the fulsome and extensive preparation for the communion which is the preceding Offertory, the actual Communion is short, to the point and over quickly. The chant proper to cover this part of this Mass is in the authentic G mode – Mixolydian, the 7th mode.
The style overall is neumatic with occasional melismas of no great length on words of significance which may also be at cadential points – deus, Israel, omnibus, angusta and mei. That on mei is the longest leading to the final
Two strands of performance practice seem to have been acknowledged in the GT version, which then stands as a compromise. The chant in the first strand, from Einsiedeln and Laon, has common usage though not identical, as does that from the other group, Dijon and Sarum. Noyon seems to be afloat between them. As yet there is no Winchester material. This should exist in the British Library on the back of the manuscript copy of the rest of the mass with its right hand side material chopped off. It is
9 Rankin, S ed. 2008. The Winchester Troper. London. p23 11. noted that the facsimile in Hiley has twenty lines of text and music, as does another from the same Winchester source in Bell, so no music has been lost through cropping of this page for publication. 10 There is likelihood that a notational resemblance is there with Dijon, Noyon and Sarum as noted in other chants examined in this Mass. Proof would be interesting, and could form part of a further scholarly investigation outside the scope of this essay.
Clearly there are two camps even with the first words – Redime me. Laon and Einsiedeln both begin with a virga and two pes, on Redime and a clivis on me, and the GT reflects this. Noyon has the same at this point as does Klosterneuberg.
Einsiedeln Laon
On the evidence of previous examples Noyon is not following the previous inclination to resemble Dijon. Clearly Noyon suggests a stepwise down movement hof the melodic line as reflected in GT. And Klosterneuberg also has the same figuring. However, Dijon and Sarum, and perhaps Winchester, begin with two virga at the same pitch then the pes and clivis.
Noyon Klosterneuberg GT
Dijon Sarum
The next word, deus, bears a melodic arabesque. Einsiedeln and Laon more or less match each other and are reflected in the GT version, with a scandicus, porrectus and clivis. However, Einsiedeln moves to an additional pes, and clivis with episema, Laon has a conjoint clivis and pes in a gesture over –us (arrowed). This kind of creative neumation prefigures what we will note in a closer examination of Winchester. Noyon produces a scandicus, porrectus, on a rising incline then beneath a clivis, pes and clivis, all jammed in two lines over the beginning of the next word Israhel. Klosterneuberg also seems to use a pes then another step, perhaps equalling a scandicus, then into a porrectus, or torculus plus pes in combination. Perhaps the dot under the last syllable means a longer note as with episema, or oriscus.
10 Bell, Nicholas. 2008. Music in Medieval Manuscripts. British Library p. 21. 12.
Einsiedeln Laon Noyon Klosterneuberg
Dijon and Sarum, and perhaps Winchester, have an altered figuring of this arabesque. The Dijon opening scandicus is barely discernible but the lettering supports this, ghi, but not the porrectus as in Hansen. It concludes with the torculus ghg. However, Sarum is simpler than the Hansen transcripton. There is no torculus. But if the next notes belong to deus instead of Israel, then there is likely a pressus, and the torculus has been re-shaped.
Dijon Sarum GT
The word Israel has a further short melisma on its final syllable. There is a clivis on the first syllable, then a virga, and the melisma on -el begins with podatus subbipunctis, a second such, then a pes subtripunctis and virga. This is the outline in GT and is what Laon suggests. Einsiedeln though has „e‟ at the outset before a torculus which suggests a beginning on the same note deus concludes on, and „s‟ suggests a leap up to c where it is lengthened „t‟. Dijon however supports the GT reading. Notably the next word ex also has an „e‟ and this time GT does begin on the same note with a torculus, so some adaptation or compromise has been made by Solesmes, or time has worked its wonder. Noyon and Dijon are consistent with this, and also Sarum, but with an ambiguous beginning.
Einsiedeln (ignore black out) Noyon
Dijon Sarum
13.
However, the differences show again in „ex’ as in the examples above. Notably this next word ex also has an „e‟ and this time GT does begin on the same note with a torculus, so some adaptation or compromise has been made by Solesmes, or time has worked its wonder. Noyon and Dijon are consistent with clivis, and also Sarum, but with an ambiguous beginning due to text underlay. The difference concerns the torculus as in GT, or a clivis, and whether it starts on the same note as the end of Israel. Sarum, Dijon, Noyon and Laon, all use a clivis and start on c (k)-b. Einsiedeln uses the torculus with the „e‟ and begins lower on the same note as previously.
Omnibus seems to be matched in all manuscripts, but then things become varied on angustiis. Quilismas hereafter show in conjunction with b flat/natural in some instances, showing some sensitivity to the semitone b-c perhaps as the chant nears its final cadence. This word, meaning a narrow or difficult way, may be illustrated via the sound of the quilisma as the melody arcs rather angularly through a fifth. (The C clef below is on the third line)
GT Einsiedeln Laon
Dijon Noyon Sarum
Einsiedeln uses a torculus with a sustained note following, leading to a quilisma linked to a porrectus. Laon uses a podatus subbipunctis for this figure, and the quilisma is but a small hook before the porrectus. Dijon has a descending quilisma after the pes, and an ascending quilisma linked to the porrectus. Noyon has an ascending quilisma ahead of an Anglo-Saxon podatus subbipunctis, and another before the porrectus. Sarum has none of this ornamental detail.
The final word of the Communion, meis, offers a full melisma. It begins on G and arcs through c above to its final G.
14.
GT Einsiedeln Laon
Dijon Noyon Sarum
All begin with a torculus, then there seems to be confusion. All differ. Einsiedeln, prior to the torculus, has a small ‟i‟(arrowed) which can indicate a lower note for this beginning, and then seems to have a liquescent virga, apostropha and trigon moving to two pressus. Laon follows the torculus with a podatus and a complex neume, probably a clivis with oriscus followed by another clivis. Dijon uses a punctum and bivirga, moving to a climacus with oriscus between the falling notes (evident with enlargement below). Noyon treats this
with four virga, a clivis and two falling pressus with lengthening. Sarum seems to ignore much of this performance detail, but for the clivis and falling notes. Most then have a quilisma before a pes subbipunctis. Dijon though adds another quilisma instead of the falling notes. The Hansen transcription of this uses a b flat at this point. This may be the interpretation of the mark above „i-h‟ in the Dijon script. (boxed) All finish with a clivis.
15.
Part III A Comparison of melismatic fragments of the Graduals with that of Winchester
Do (mine) Winchester : There is a significant melisma on this syllable written in full according to other sources. (It is out in the right hand margin –mine runs on the next line and is cut off.) There is a clivis then a climacus, a quilisma linked to an Anglo- Saxon looped climacus covering the e-f semitone suggested in GT, and finally a pes. There is no attention to performance issues.
Einsiedeln: Laon :
Clivis with episema is followed by (tenere) above a climacus. There is no quilisma. Then there is a second clivis with episema lengthening the upper note. The GT transcriber has missed an episema over the first clivis, but There is a clivis-climacus–clivis then a quilisma prior to marked the square notes thus. So there is quite some two virgae. The quilisma is placed differently. lengthening of notes about this syllable
Dijon: Noyon:
Specific pitch is given. And above this a clivis, climacus There are very similar neumes to Winchester. The with three falling notes, the last looking like a liquescent porrectus though is leading to three falling climacus notes, note but not lettered, then a clivis, a pes. The melody thus and the quilisma leading to Anglo-Saxcon clivis The is simplified. grouping differs from E/L
Klosterneuberg : Sarum:
There is an apparent porrectus above f with three falling Sarum begins with a porrectus, three falling notes, then climacus notes below f , making a different grouping, then clivis and podatus. This is a simplified melody akin to clivis about f –plus a pes subbipunctis. So the melody Noyon varies
16. homine iniquo Winchester: Ho- begins with a long Anglo-Saxon clivis, a scandicus of three notes, a second virga indicating a hold, then a porrectus, and pes. The semitone step b-c occurs here. Iniquo uses a virga, a quilisma linked to another virga and a torculus. There is no indication of any lengthening.
Einsiedeln: Laon:
Ho- celeriter marks are over the clivis and porrectus so homine is to be done quickly, but there are episemas over A clivis begins over ho-, then a pes, two uncinus with the virga in between these. Though in GT there is but one maybe an indistinct liquescent augmentation mark above, „c‟ over the first clivis. a porrectus and virga Iniquo shows a punctum, virga linked with a quilisma to Iniquo uses several uncinus and a scandicus with quilisma, another higher virga, ending with a clivis with episema, so but there is no lengthening. This is an occasion where the the lengthening is acknowledged. quilisma covers the semitone b-c
Dijon: Noyon:
Ho- shows nothing untoward – a clivis, a pes and two virga Ho- The neumes are not specific to this syllable, but there indicating a held or repeated note, a porrectus then pes, all is simply a clivis, pes, two virga, a porrectus and above noted to specific pitches. these a lower pes Iniquo bears a punctum, or tractulus, then a rather short Iniquo bears a possible tractulus, virga, quilisma and virga, virga linked to a quilisma, covering the interval between h- ending with a torculus. Again this resembles Winchester i-k, marked as well by a dash over i. This seems again a simple version of the melody.
Klosterneuberg: Sarum:
Ho- begins with a clivis down probably a-f, then a pes, The neumes run into the text of the line above so are then two liquescent uncinus on c, then two porrectus, one unclear but, there begins a clivis c-a, a pes, b-c, a belated above the next on c. So this melody is a variant. And these C clef, two punctum c‟s, and these are over the second neumes are placed over the second syllable –mi- Iniquo syllable –mi. Two porrectus also run over this syllable, one begins with a clivis, then there is a mark I suspect lower than the first dcd, cbc, rather like Klosterneuburg. indicating a b flat prior to a rising pair of virga, and a b Iniquo is made of simple scandicus, clivis with no detail. natural after the cadential clivis.
17.
Eripe
Winchester: The Winchester mss does not seem to follow the GT version. The neumes are not set clearly above the respective syllables. A virga preceeds the pes , then a clivis . The virga has mark ^ above which according to Rankin indicates a lengthening. This means a different melodic contour from GT. Then there is a clivis and oriscus with a dot beneath, again possibly a lengthening or a punctum
Einsiedeln: Laon
The GT version has a virga closely associated with a clivis with episema over the first syllable. –ri – has its pes and – This seems a simple outline. The Laon unicus is set also as pe a clivis with a lengthening, perhaps an oriscus This is clivis, then a pes and an oriscus set within a porrectus. This not what the actual manuscript shows. There it is clearly a deals with the lengthened note, and is closest to the GT porrectus with „c‟ above and two puncta, (or pressus) then version. Again it shows the porrectus embarks at the same a virga. Thus it is a different melodic outline. pitch.
Dijon Noyon
The Dijon melodic outline is simple. Lettering shows Noyon has a simple sequence – a virga, clivis a pes with a stepwise movement to the porrectus. Over the first virga dot following, and the porrectus is replaced by clivis and a syllable there is an „N‟ mark with a dot which clearly scandicus. So the grouping and outline differ from GT. relates to a ‟u‟ mark over the note g. This marks a likely Maybe there is a grouping connection with Winchester in microtone. this differing.
Klosterneuberg Sarum
The first neume appears to be two Laon type uncinus with Sarum lacks the nuances of the others, and has a simple a dot below which may indicate lengthening or pressus, a melody moving aagabgafg, there being a longer note neume rather like two rising uncinus (grouped instead of a indicated with the note stems. Clivis and porrectus are pes) and between these is a barely perceptible „w‟- maybe conjoined. quilisma of the St Gall type, then two clivis. This is surely a different melodic detail from GT.
18.
me... (cadential melisma)
Winchester The melisma begins with a scandicus including an oriscus on the middle note, a podatus subbipunctis leading to a trigon, a second podatus subbipunctis then a quilisma and Anglo-Saxon climacus, and finally two forms of torculus with an oriscus between them.
Einsiedeln Laon
GT version and the original differ in terms of grouping. The opening grouping differs from GT and the end of the melisma is missing.
Dijon Noyon
Notably, in the Noyon Mss ‘fgh-klm’ is taken by three pes. The notation is very cramped over the text. A scandicus The melodic outline differs from GT according to the begins, then a podatus subbipunctis, a trigon, virga, a lettering. There is a quilisma between f-g as in GT. The quilisma linked to a torculus, and two further torculus with neumes seem secondary to the lettering as they are casually an oriscus between them. All are clearly reminiscent of placed over the letters. Winchester. There is even an oriscus between the last two torculus.
Klosterneuberg Sarum
The C clef shifts down a third to accommodate the high notes. The notes correspond to GT minus the quilisma, The melisma opens with pes, fga, c,e, two podatus Tails add lengthening at the right places. A b flat accidental subbipunctis c-a. is added- (arrowed).
19.
tuam (1)
Winchester; The word begins with a virga, then of interest, an extended torculus, perhaps torculus resurpinus, a unique Anglo- Saxon neume which is conjoint with a pes subbipunctis. Then there is a clivis, torculus, and three climacus in sequence, the last in Anglo-Saxon looped format. The first two cover major thirds in GT, the last covers the c-a minor third.
Einsiedeln Laon
There is an extended torculus including a clivis with an There are illegible gaps in the original so GT reflects these. episema, a climacus, a clivis with „tenere‟ marked over it, a Tuam is marked with arrangements of uncinus as clivis and torculus and three climacus in sequence with ‟c‟ marked. similar, all of which suggests a degree of deliberation in There is „s‟ in the original. GT does not seem a good match performance, as opposed to Einsiedeln. with this.
Dijon Noyon
The differentiation of syllables is shown – tu –a- a –am. The alphabet notation carefully matches these. There are This melisma is illegible. There is a vague torculus at the several liquescent notes in climacus. „mlk, mlk, kih’ fits the outset. This may bear a resemblance to the Anglo-Saxon three climacus. torculus of Winchester, but there is not enough script to judge. This was all the facsimile afforded.
Klosterneuberg Sarum
There is clearly figuring about C. There is a virga on c, a The C clef sits lower. There is a punctum on c, a torcuous torculus cdc, dc, possibly a pes sub-bipunctis eca, a pes c- cdc, clivis dc, climacus eca, Aa clivis cb, a torculus dec, b,a torculus dec, then three climacus in sequence edc, edc, and three climacus which get increasingly cramped edc, cba., which gives a reading close to GT. edc, cba. This later is clearly defined in Klosterneuberg. The pitch is as in GT.
20.
tuam (2)
Winchester; The melisma begins with a clivis and three tristrophe (virga) over the first syllable presumably. Then another clivis with virga and an oriscus. The GT has quilisma at this point, really the b-c. interval. This leads to a scandicus, or least two puncta attached to a porrectus of the Anglo- Saxon type, a virga with another oriscus falling to a punctum. The looped porrectus suggests a step down of a 3rd and perhaps back up a 3rd .GT has this rise but a 2nd.
Einsiedeln Laon
A clivis begins with a tristropha leading to a second clivis The Laon original is illegible until the last few notes. A with episema, a quilisma, then virga and episema, a trigon may be discernable – possibly. At the end point is a porrectus with episema, and finally a pressus. This agrees porrectus and a climacus or pressus. GT is blank in much with Winchester and also GT. of this until the end.
Dijon Noyon:
A simple clivis begins, then a tristropha, clivis, oriscus, a Again the syllables are separated tu-a-am for the singers scandicus liked to a porrectus – then it is unclear. However benefit, and the neumes are fitted to each. There is a clivis the beginning still bears a resemblance to Winchester. to begin, three tristropha and a virga, a quilisma on the There is even oriscus as in Winchester, marked with an middle „a‟ vowel which happens to be on b, the semitone arrow. step (ie hik ) „k‟ bears the tristrophe noted with dots…. which suggest its performance as reiterated notes.
Klosterneuberg Sarum:
The melisma begins with a clivis, three tristropha, clivis, There is a clivis to begin c-a, four punctum (not a then three steps up as uncinus, a clivis d-c maybe a torculus tristrophe) a pes a-c, punctum with a tail, punctum d, a – cdc. An alternative could be pes-clivis-pes with pressus cramped podatus and torculus dec, pes c-d, clivis d-c. And for the last three neumes. a small line | to mark the end of the melisma in the crush. The torculus does not match GT. The whole does not match Winchester.
21.
Deduxerunt
Winchester; This begins with a clivis, three sets of punctum with quilisma (on b) then climacus, rising then falling, and the last is joined to a virga and finally a clivis.
Einsiedeln Laon
The original shows a clivis with episema, then a combined The melody is outlined in uncinus, set as clivis, scandicus, scandicus with climacus, a quilisma about b with pes sometimes with quilisma, but there seems no attention to subbipunctis and episema, another scandicus with episema semitones. GT matches the original mss. and subbipunctis, and s/sursum, and finally a clivis with episema. GT shows all but the „s‟, and notes a b flat.
Dijon Noyon
The melisma begins with a clivis, virga, then quilisma The neumes are heavy with quilisma (5x) both ascending linked to three sets of punctum with Anglo-Saxon type and descending around the a-bflat/b-c semitone. The climacus, then virga and clivis. This is virtually the same as quilisma marks are set between h-k(c) – h - f Winchester. The use of quilisma is identical, and also very similar to Dijon. It is a strong indication of a connection with Anglo-Saxon neumation.
Klosterneuberrg Sarum
The clef has shifted – now labelled f-a-c-e Here the beginning is a clivis a-g, and three groups of pes There may be a flattened b in the opening figure of a rising subbipunctum (acag, abag, eg, abgf, the grouping is pes, then three climacus in falling sequence, a pes then unclear.) a punctum, then clivis gf. The melodic outline clivis. The melody approximates that in GT. parallels GT. There is no sign of the bflat evident in Klosterneuberg.
22.
tuum
Winchester: Winchester begins with a punctum with climacus, trivirga, another virga, an oriscus over the b semitone, a clivis, climacus, then groups of virga with climacus, clivis with virga, bivirga with clivis, and finally an Anglo-Saxon extended torculus with its oriscus. This supports the GT reading.
Einsiedeln Laon
Most of the notation for this melisma in GT is missing. It Most of the GT notation is missing, illegible in the original. is illegible in the original. The above is digitally enhanced However, with digital enhancement, a neume resembling and does offer some similarities with Winchester. It seems the final Winchester torculus is evident at the end. Now I this is a standard melismatic ending for verses of Mode V can see a possible connection even with Laon. The missing graduals, and the notator only offered it on the first use in a script should be well known to the singers. manuscript.
Dijon Noyon
The notation is a little unclear. At the outset is a punctum, The neumation is scant. Some pes, quilismas and a trivirga climacus, trivirga, an unclear neume, clivis, two climacus are evident, but there is no lettering in the manuscript. another doubtful neume, a bivirga, clivis, torculus and yet Again the missing material is assumed as a common another unclear neume. However, the pattern hints strongly melisma for mode V graduals. at Winchester, especially since the other manuscripts are so lacking. Perhaps these choirs / cantors needed more reminders, were considered „in need‟.
Klosterneuberg Sarum
The melisma begins with a podatus subbipunctis, a trivirga, Again the notation is doubtful. It begins with a climacus, a punctum, clivis, another two porrectus subbipunctis, a trivirga, a pressus with two climacus, more doubt, then a porrectus, bivirga, clivis, a scandicus, and possible bivirga and a torculus. A b flat is clear in the second half torculus, ending with a clivis. In this the grouping differs just lower than the C line. The newly devised staff lines are from GT, though the pitch matches. B flat does not appear. coloured. The boldest is F (red), the C line (yellow) is and paler
23.
Each fragment or phrase of significance in the Winchester manuscript regarding its neumation is considered above against the other manuscripts. So, the full Gradual, where there may just be simple neumes or recitation is not examined. The Gradual is mode V, the Lydian mode on F, and is in its authentic form. One can expect b flats to be negotiated. And there is of course the e-f semitone to cover as well as b-c.
The grid layout of neumatic detail comparing each monastic style has been useful in preparing this section. The foregoing pages are a clarified layout of that material. It would appear that there is a connection between the Noyon and Winchester manuscripts, borne out particularly in the use of the unique Anglo-Saxon neumes of extended torculus and the climacus which feature in several of the melismas in both manuscripts. That of Noyon must be the older, so one can assume a scribe of that scriptorium devised the cursive style and shared it with a subsequent scribe in England or who went to England, possibly at Canterbury, as Kozachek has referred to that school according to Rankin.11 These two monasteries would not have been too remote from each other. So Noyon shares more with Winchester than just the long parallel slant of the neumes noted earlier.
The issue of semitone steps for pitch fixing has so far only been marked by quilisma approximating this interval – or managing to „fluff‟ it. Quite a few are placed in the a-b flat/b-c locus of a melody as transcribed in Graduale Triplex. The mi-fa neume, noted by Kozachek (and this and his work discussed by Rankin in the preface to her edition of The Winchester Troper ) has not been in evidence. This neume looks like a virga with a broken back, sometimes like a Laon punctum in smaller versions, but only really features in more recently composed Anglo-Saxon music, such as the sequence, and not in scriptorium rewrites of standard Propers. Even so, a cursory examination of the Troper compared with the Winchester Mass, shows this mi-fa neume appears perhaps once on a page, and that „e‟ lettering directions for pitch, and oriscus for rhythm are far more prolific. The oriscus is certainly a stylistic trait of the Winchester Gradual, whereas an episema features often in the Einsiedeln style. It is clear that the Klosterneuberg monastery was an early user of b flat and b natural, as well as the emerging four line staff. Sarum uses the b flat as well, and is notable for its simplification of melodies, and absence of quilisma. Maybe the use of flats compensates for this. And apart from adding a tail to the punctum, Sarum made little of the nuances of performance practice evident in Einsiedeln and others.
11 Rankin, S. Op cit. p 29 The considerable reference Rankin makes to Kosachek‟s Tonal Neumes shows that it could be vital reading to this examination, however, the work is a thesis not available in New Zealand, but could possibly be obtained for further study from Australia. It is his PhD thesis from Harvard, and is specifically devoted to Anglo-Saxon notation.
24.
Part IV An examination of the Anglo-Saxon “looped” neumes in Winchester compared to the Graduale Triplex transcription, and also the comparable use of quilisma, and oriscus.
There are twenty three instances to be examined of the looped or extended Anglo-Saxon neumes in the mass facsimile offered by Hiley, and ten of the oriscus. The quilisma frequently occurs along with a looped neume so will be discussed at the same time. There are nineteen of these insofar as we have text of the mass.
Winchester Graduale /Offertoriale Triplex
C clef third line Example 1. (Introit) sustine The quilismas are ascending on the b-c semitone in both cases. In the first instance it is the middle note in a scandicus. The Anglo-Saxon looped climacus is the final one, and according to GT the quilisma forms the bottom half of a pes/podatus which rises a tone and then falls two notes, represented by the curling tail. So this boxed neume could be transcription of the Anglo-Saxon or English podatus subbipunctis.
C clef third line Example 2. (Introit) dominum. The Winchester quilisma does not appear in the GT. It could effectively sit on a, and since the b following is not moving up to c, perhaps does not call for adjustment. The loopy Winchester neume though is linked to an additional rising virga bouncing to its right as part of the pattern– boxed, which we could consider a climacus resupinus. Einsiedeln joins both scandicus and climacus and neither manuscripts suggest a quilisma. However, the g-b would become a minor 3rd if in practise the Winchester singers heard it with a b flat or similar, and thus it was notated as a quilisma.
C clef top line
Example 3. (Gradual) do-(mine) The rising outline of Winchester belies the basic falling line of GT, but parchment space seems to cause this. The way the climacus to the left and the pes to the right of the looped neume are rendered in GT closely resembles Einsiedeln. But the GT clivis seems to miss the implications the Winchester looped neume which suggests a rising interval filled by a roulade possibly. And since the bottom note is D, this is the locus of the e-f semitone. This suggests that the looped neume has relevance with semitones. 25.
C clef top line
Example 4. (Gradual) iniquo The Winchester melody proceeds by rising virga end on end, with the quilisma between, perhaps suggesting the interval of a third and a slide between a and c. Compare example 16, where this neume stands alone at b-c. And then there is a cadential torculus, noted otherwise in GT.
C clef second line
Example 5. (Gradual) tuam This much compounded neume in Winchester (boxed) is a torculus, extended by a second rise and fall to become a torculus plus clivis plus climacus, and seems to be transcribed thus by GT from the sources they used. The final climacus of the three, (arrowed) is notably also in Anglo-Saxon format, and occurs at the end in other like situations. This may indicate the beginning of this triplet is lower than the previous two, and the looped form may also indicate the interval of a minor 3rd c-b-a- outlined in this neume, as opposed to the major third of those previously. The question: Is the Anglo-Saxon ear noting and notating the difference?
C clef third line
Example 6. (Gradual) tuam This is intriguing as the circled and boxed neumes seem to match in transcription, a quilisma sitting on b, and later a pressus (as in Einsiedeln and Laon) has appeared when an oriscus has been used in Winchester. The six notes in between suggest the Winchester outline of a scandicus linked to a looped porrectus, (in the hexagon) but are grouped differently by GT as three groups of two. And even Einsiedeln and Laon suggest the same. Solesmes has perhaps made a compromise. Maybe other sources have differing outlines too. However, that looped neume could also suggest a fall of a third, and an end lower than it began.
26.
C clef third line
Example 7. (Gradual) deduxerunt This example somewhat clarifies the usage of this Anglo-Saxon neume. The first and third such neume is preceded by a punctum dot. The first one also finishes with a dot/punctum which could be misconstrued as belonging to the second neume. The third one also bears a raised virga addition to the right. Thus, the first set seems a scandicus subtripunctis (if such exists) with the quilisma covering the b, or otherwise a punctum and liquescent pes conjoint with an Anglo-Saxon climacus. The second is a standard podatus subbipunctis, noted with a quilisma on a and a flattened b, and the third is a combined pes-climacus resupinus. It would seem that the minor 3rd features here in two of three occasions, and the b flat because of the direct stepwise line down to f, the eventual cadence.
Example 8. (Gradual) tuum. The final compound neume in Winchester is an extended torculus resupinus, this time with an oriscus to lengthen the fall to the cadence.
C clef top line
Example 9. (Offertory) The concern is with the last neume. OT offers three groups of two notes – a pes, and two clivis, the first stepping down a 3rd, and the latter acting as a pressus. The Anglo-Saxon version connects a scandicus flexus to a clivis, making two falls. A question arises in that the opened and widened loop could well indicate a lengthening, or a drop of a 3rd, , or both. There is a minor 3rd involved c-a. The scribe was perfectly capable of adding an oriscus where the pressus was otherwise used. See example 8 above.
C clef top line
Example 10 (Offertory) This is a simple looped Anglo-Saxon podatus subbipunctis. Again it involves a minor 3rd between b and d.
27.
C clef top line
Example 11 (Offertory) The circled neumes offer the standard Anglo-Saxon form for the podatus subbipunctis. Here the interval outlined is a major 3rd, f-a. The boxed neumes offer again an expanded torculus with another fall. The Winchester neume could have included an oriscus, so perhaps the concern again is the outline of a 3rd. Or, the whole pattern could have been sung in lengthened notes (as with examples 8 and 9 above).
C clef top line
Example 12.(Offertory) quaerentes te. The circled neumes cover the minor 3rd a-c interval where b- c is a semitone. The boxed neumes, climacus resupinus, deal with a major 3rd outline.
C clef top line
Example 13.(Offertory) The boxed neumes in the Winchester example could suggest a 3rd from the first clivis to the virga, sitting end to end, and a fall back a 4th down to the standard podatus subbipunctis, which outlines a major 3rd. While this 4th is not a notated interval, this music is sung from memory and these neumes are but suggestions. The sizable vertical gap between the top of the virga and the beginning of the podatus subbipunctis would be a good aide memoire. The interval between the opening clivis and virga is again a minor 3rd a-c and the quilisma sits over b.
c clef top
Example 14 (Offertory) Again there are quilismas covering the a-c interval. The Winchester looped neumes are simple climacus prefixed by the quilisma and two scandicus flexus, and then a pes in OT. They sit across a minor 3rd again – c-a.
28
C clef third line
Example 15 (Offertory V) In this case the Winchester neume is preceded and followed by a punctum. The a-c interval with a quilisma on b occurs again in all versions. So the looped Winchester neume itself is cba.
C clef third line
Example 16. (Offertory V) In this instance the Anglo-Saxon neume has a virga attached to its right, and is a climacus resupinus forming a changing note figure about a. The b has not been flattened in OT, (it does not create a tritone, nor does it proceed to c,) but may have been so in performance at Winchester, there being plenty of fs about in this verse as in periit and populum cum iustitia, and a b flat in iudicare.
C clef third line Example 17. (Offertory V.) The quilisma attached to the virga in Winchester is significant. This is its first appearance as a separate neume, and it runs b-c, plainly the semitone step is being marked, quite independently of the previous note, g.
Example 18. The last two neumes are of interest. There is yet another a-c quilisma, and this quilisma is linked only to a virga. The last Winchester neume is likely to be an extended clivis, two of them together, and agrees with OT. (Compare the Winchester neumes in examples 8, 9 and 19 ) There is possibly some lengthening in performance.
29
Example 19 (quoni)-am. This neume is an extended torculus with clivis attached and this seems the more common, Winchester shape, suggesting lengthening that would match the episema over the Einsiedeln clivis. Laon and Einsiedeln agree with this being a torculus.
C clef is second line
Example 20 (patien)-tia pauperum. Two small basic neumes are shown. The first boxed is the simple climacus, covering the c-b-a figure. And the second, arrowed, is the single quilisma/pes, again on the b-c semitone.
Example 21. The hexagonal boxed neume is the only one of its kind in this examination. It is an conjoint quilisima-climacus-clivis, with yet another clivis/two notes. Again it sits over the a-c locus with the quilisma on b. The second Anglo-Saxon neume, a climacus resupinus, also calls for a quilisma but this is not so in OT. Perhaps Winchester choir usage altered the top note b.
Example 22. The neume of interest is the final extended torculus, a torculus resupinus conjoint with an additional clivis and oriscus over the last punctum.
arrow see 24 below
Example 23 Deus (mid cadential melisma) There are numerous neumes to figure out here. The dotted circles match, a podatus subtripunctis. The Anglo-Saxon neume between the the boxed and 30. circled neumes is a clivis linked to a climacus, which seems to be the OT version. However, the boxed neume appears to be a porrectus flexus according to Winchester and Einsiedeln, but a simple porrectus according to OT and Laon. As a beginner in this notation, I find porrectus and torculus confusing myself. And I know some lazy singers ears cannot tell the difference. Has the scribe the same problem? This suggests there are there regional variants of the melody. Furthermore the hexagonal neume offers another conflicting interpretation. Einseideln still has two clivis, or a porrectus flexus, while Laon has an extended torculus resupinus. On –us at the very end of this melisma is another version of the porrectus, (arrowed) which in OT outlines an angular f-d-g. While not a looped neume it certainly draws attention to this wider cadential interval, and perhaps a cadential lengthening.
Part V Summary and conclusions
The preceding comparisons of Introits, Graduals and Communions have shown that there is a modest family link between Winchester, Noyon and Dijon, most noticeable with the neumes of Anglo-Saxon form, and also the use of oriscus and quilisma. And this is interestingly supported further when neumes have been illegible or missing in the original Laon and Einsiedeln manuscripts. The inference is that these scriptoria that include all the notation of otherwise well worn melismatic formulae are providing for monasteries considered by the powers-that-be to be not so well endowed musically. Winchester and Noyon especially, were after all at the outposts of empire. The section now following will look more closely at the idiosyncratic Anglo-Saxon neumes which occur all through the Winchester mass, including the Offertory, and relate these to GT interpretations.
There are eighteen occurrences of the looped neumes in the Mass to explore, some of them with quilisma, and there are eight uses of the oriscus.
1a 1c 2a 4 6a
1b 1d 2b 3 5 6b
The chart above outlines the looped Anglo-Saxon neumes which occur in the Winchester Mass.
Example 1a offers the two formats for the climacus. The unlooped neume is commonly found, either with two or three falling notes. I suspect that the looped neume represents a differentiation between major and minor 3rds which perhaps the Anglo-Saxon ear discriminated and needed to notate. Thus the major 3rd is marked by the common climacus neume and the minor 3rd by the looped neume. However, I have not examined enough to fully prove this, but I have the exception to prove the rule. See example 12, the boxed neume, a climacus resupinus, covers a major third. (Perhaps, as the b has just been a quilisma and may have been something in between. Or microtonal) The simple looped 31.
climacus seems fairly rare as a standalone neume. There were only a couple in the whole work, and they each cover a minor 3rd (b-d, c-a), whereas the common unlooped neume, most often as podatus subbipunctis, as in the final melisma below, seem to represent the major 3rd in outline, (presuming that the final OT b flat is editorial. There have been many b naturals previously.)
Most commonly the looped climacus appears with a prefixed quilisma as in 1(b-d). There were fifteen of these. Of these eleven are securely outlining a minor 3rd, and four are open to debate on the potential b flat in performance. None are undoubtedly a major 3rd in outline, though there is an example to counter this, a climacus resupinus– (p27, Ex 12 above).
Example 2 (a and b), shows the quilisma at its simplest, prefixing a virga. Again these are rare. There was but one, at cognoscetur, marking b-c alone. Most often there is an a-c interval filled with a quilisma. There were eleven of these. Of the others, four were missed in OT and may have sat on a-b/b flat, and another may have covered the e-f semitone and was not marked in OT.
Example 3, the looped porrectus, only occurred once, and that in an ambiguous situation. It may suggest a fall of a 3rd for the middle note, and perhaps rise of the 3rd to the last note.
Examples 4 – 6b show the clivis attached to another to make a conjoint Anglo-Saxon neume with itself, a scandicus, and most often, a torculus, and even an additional climacus. There is a simple logic to discover in this.
These neumations have raised for me the possibility that three hundred or so years later John Dunstable‟s adoption of the triad and its inversion into his musical language, and then the later peculiarly English predisposition to clash and cross-relate major and minor thirds (as in Tudor church music, Purcell, Britten) may all have their roots in the collective aesthetic of antiquity – in the ears of the Anglo-Saxons, and grudgingly, with a little help from their conquerors from northern France. And one can add to this the “tierce da picardie” in tonal music. This may be as peculiarly “northern fringe” of Holy Roman Empire as is the microtonal sensitivity of more Mediterranean ears.
Gillian Lander
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32.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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