MANUSCRIPT SOURCES of KEYBOARD MUSIC at CHRIST CHURCH

John Milsom

*** N.B. Additions will be made to this page as new information becomes available. To view the date on which the current version was posted, please scroll down to the end of the page. ***

The following list is arranged in five categories, as follows:

1. items definitely or probably from the Aldrich bequest;
2. items definitely or probably from the Goodson bequest;
3. items of uncertain provenance from either the Aldrich or the Goodson bequest;
4. items acquired from donors other than Aldrich or Goodson;
5. organ-books from Christ Church Cathedral.

• Mus. 6. Organ accompaniments for services and anthems; copyist unidentified; English, c. 1620-35. Possibly a partner to the set of four vocal partbooks now New York, Public Library, MS Mus. Res. *MNZ (Chirk), which were compiled by the same copyist, and which substantially overlap in contents.
• Mus. 67. Organ parts for anthems, madrigals and instrumental consort music, copied by various scribes; English, c. 1620. Mus. 67 appears to have served as the organ-book for two different partbook sets: (1) Mus. 61-6, and (2) London, British Library, Add. MSS 29427 (an Altus partbook from an otherwise lost set). An annotation by Thomas Myriell on one of the rear flyleaves of Mus. 67 also forges a link between it and Myriell's manuscript anthology called 'Tristitiae Remedium' (London, British Library, Add. MSS 29372-7).
• Mus. 1215(3). Organ parts for verse anthems by John Ward, copied by Stephen Bing; English, 1630s. Probably an adjunct to the set of vocal parts copied as Layer 2 of Mus. 61-6.
• Mus. 44. Originally a collection of English consort music, madrigal-fantasias and Italian madrigals copied in score by Thomas Myriell (d. 1625); English, first quarter of 17th century. The volume was subsequently used by Benjamin Cosyn for the addition of miscellaneous material (including keyboard works), copied apparently during the period 1626-43, when Cosyn was organist of Charterhouse, London.
• Mus. 430. Organ-book containing organ parts for sixteen fantasia-suites for one or two violins, bass viol and organ by William Lawes; copyist unidentified; English, c. 1636-42. The volume was copied under the supervision of John Browne (1608-91), apparently to complement sets of string parts also in Browne's possession.
• Mus. 1004. Organ accompaniments for consort works by Alfonso Ferrabosco (ii), Lupo, Coprario and others, copied by John Hilton (ii): English, second quarter of 17th century. The volume was apparently copied for John Browne (1608-91) to complement sets of string parts in Browne's possession.
• Mus. 47. Originally a keyboard book in two layers, the first containing organ accompaniments for English anthems, the second idiomatic keyboard music; copyist unidentified, English, probably early 1660s. The volume then passed to Henry Aldrich, who added two keyboard pieces by John Blow and expanded the volume with miscellaneous material, including sketches of his own compositions; English, 1660s and later.
• Mus. 1141b (ff. 111-13). Keyboard music copied by Edward Lowe; English, 3rd quarter of 17th century.
• Mus. 378. Keyboard book, copied by Henry Aldrich; English, 3rd quarter of 17th century. The contents include all the music entered by Edward Lowe in Mus. 1141b (ff. 111-13) (see above).
• Mus. 15 (ff. 44-89). Vocal and instrumental music copied in keyboard score, and keyboard music, copied by Henry Aldrich; English, 1660s or later.
• Mus. 525 and Mus. 526. Organ accompaniments for anthems and service music, copied jointly by Henry Aldrich and Edward Lowe; English, before 1677.
• Mus. 15 (ff. 1-43). Works and sketches by Henry Aldrich, largely autograph; also keyboard parts for fantasia-suites by John Coprario, copied by Aldrich; English, last quarter of 17th century.

• Mus. 89. Organ book containing music for the Tridentine liturgy, copied in the Spanish Netherlands, 1620s. Copyist unidentified; English, possibly Richard Dering or William Browne.
• Mus. 431. A collection of keyboard music; English, probably late 1620s. Apparently the work of a single amateur copyist, exhibiting considerable scribal variation.
• Mus. 1001. Organ-book containing accompaniments for anthems and services, with miscellaneous small additions; English, c. 1640. The collection may have been partly copied and/or formerly owned by Robert Pickhaver, who was organist of New College, Oxford, in 1662-4.
• Mus. 88. Organ accompaniments for services and anthems, copied by at least four copyists, including Christopher Gibbons and probably John Silver; English, mid 17th century. Probably copied for/at Winchester Cathedral, or (less likely) for/at Winchester College. Subsequently transferred to William King, organist of New College, Oxford, who appears to have owned the volume but not added to its contents.
• Mus. 92. Keyboard book compiled by six or more copyists; English, c. 1635-43 (and dated '1643' on the inside upper cover). Probably associated with and perhaps partly copied by Mary Kercher (d. c.1655) of Winchester before her marriage in 1646 to Christopher Gibbons; includes autograph sketches and drafts by Christopher Gibbons. Other copyists may include William King, organist of New College, Oxford.
• Mus. 1142a (ff. 1-20). Keyboard book, English, mid 17th century. Three copyists, two of them unidentified, the third Christopher Gibbons.
• Mus. 1175. A collection of keyboard music compiled and largely composed or arranged by an otherwise untraced musician called 'Robert Wintersall' (possibly a variant of Wintershall, Wintershull or Wintersel); English, mid 17th century.
• Mus. 437. A fragmentary keyboard book in two repertorial layers; (1) secular works for domestic use; (2) organ accompaniments for anthems and service music; English, 1640s-80s. Layer 2 is associated with the chapel of St John's College, Oxford.
• Mus. 1003. Keyboard book in four layers, copied in England (and probably in Oxford) during the second half of the 17th century. Copyists include Henry Bowman, Charles Morgan, Richard Goodson Sr and Richard Goodson Jr.
• Mus. 1176. Keyboard book, compiled by Edward Lowe with additions by Richard Goodson Sr; English, 1670s and later. Apparently a partner volume to Mus. 1177 (see below), which uses the same paper-stock and rastration, and was also copied by Lowe and Goodson Sr.
• Mus. 1177. Keyboard book, begun by Edward Lowe and extensive enlarged by Richard Goodson Sr; English, 1670s and later. Apparently a partner volume to Mus. 1176 (see above), which uses the same paper-stock and rastration, and was also copied by Lowe and Goodson Sr.
• Mus. 598. A collection of songs and keyboard pieces, apparently used as pedagogy for inexperienced musicians under the supervision of Richard Goodson Sr, and largely copied by him; English, c. 1685. The inside upper and lower covers are annotated 'John Rawlings His Book'; this may point to the book's original owner or user.
• Mus. 1215(7). Three pieces in keyboard score, the first of them texted in the upper line, copied by Richard Goodson Sr; English, early 18th century.
• Mus. 580. A dual-purpose instruction book compiled by Richard Goodson Sr for teaching keyboard and treble voice; English, early 18th century. According to an inscription on the inside lower cover, the book was owned or used by Catherine Brooks ('her Book'). Several pieces were copied twice, in vocal and keyboard versions.
• Mus. 46. Keyboard book, containing at the front of the volume principally organ accompaniments for English service music and anthems, and at the rear songs and secular keyboard works; English, early 18th century. Copied collaboratively by up to five unidentified copyists.

• Mus. 1034(A). Quire of keyboard music; copyist unidentified; English, c.1530 or later.
• Mus. 371. Keyboard book; copyists unidentified; English, 1560s.
• Mus. 1141a (ff. 64-65b). Unidentified set of variations for keyboard; English, early 17th century.
• Mus. 1207. Keyboard music by John Bull and William Byrd; copyist unidentified; English, c. 1620 or later.
• Mus. 1219(A). Organ score of two verse anthems by Orlando Gibbons; copyist unidentified; English, first half of 17th century.
• Mus. 49 (pp. 200-243). Organ music by John Lugge, autograph. English, 1640s.
• Mus. 1179. Keyboard book in two scribal and repertorial layers: (1) anonymous pieces copied by or for Martha Long in the mid 17th century; (2) works for harpsichord by John Blow, Henry Purcell and others, copied probably in the 1680s by a professional musician (designated as 'FQ4' in the Purcell literature), apparently for Martha Long's son, George Luellyn.
• Mus. 1141d (f. 128). Two keyboard works, the first a setting of Psalm 100 copied by Edward Lowe, the second an unidentified piece copied by Richard Goodson Sr. English, last quarter of 17th century.
• Mus. 1141a (ff. 6-7). Keyboard pieces by William Croft; autograph. English, probably 1st decade of 18th century.

• Mus. 1113. Keyboard book containing works of Italian and English origin, copied by an unidentified English scribe probably in the 1620s. The opening layer of largely Italian repertory appears to be of Roman origin; it is followed by a layer of English repertory. A few pieces are designated as being for use on specific instruments (organ, virginals, etc). Acquired from the library of Archbishop William Wake (1657-1737), which was donated to Christ Church at his death.
• Mus. 1236. Keyboard book containing works of English and French origin, copied in Oxford by William Ellis, probably in the 1650s and early 1660s. Acquired from the library of Archbishop William Wake (1657-1737), which was donated to Christ Church at his death.
• Mus. 563-4. Early compositions for keyboard by Sir Frederick Gore Ouseley, copied apparently by his sister, Mary Jane Ouseley; English, 1831-early 1840s. Apparently donated to Christ Church between 1915 and 1941; the donor's identity has not been traced. Sir Frederick Gore Ouseley (1825-89) studied at Christ Church during the years 1843-6, and from 1855 was Professor of Music at Oxford University.

• Mus. 438. Organ accompaniments for services and anthems, copied by Edward Lowe, at least partly in the 1660s. This manuscript appears to have been owned privately by Lowe, but may then have passed to his successors as Organists of Christ Church Cathedral.
• Mus. 1230. Organ accompaniments for choral repertory, begun in the early 18th century by Richard Goodson Sr (Organist 1692-1718), and later extended by Richard Goodson Jr and others.
• Mus. 1234. Organ accompaniments for anthems; second quarter of the 18th century. Begun by Richard Goodson Jr, and extended by two later copyists, the first tentatively identified as Richard Church, the second William Walond Sr, copying in the 1730s and early 1740s.
• Mus. 1229. Organ accompaniments for anthems and services, begun by Richard Goodson Jr in the second quarter of the 18th century, and extended by later copyists, including William Walond Sr, copying in the 1750s.
• Mus. 1232. Organ accompaniments for anthems and services, copied in the 1740s by William Walond Sr.
• Mus. 1233. Organ accompaniments for anthems and services, copied in the 1740s-60s by William Walond Sr.
• Mus. 1227. Organ accompaniments for services, copied probably in the 1750s by William Walond Sr.
• Mus. 1231. Organ accompaniments for services, copied probably in the 1750s by William Walond Sr.
• Mus. 1228. Organ accompaniments for anthems and services, copied jointly by William Walond Sr and Jr; third quarter of 18th century.
• Mus. 1235. Organ accompaniments for anthems, copied jointly by William Walond Sr and Jr; third quarter of 18th century.
• Mus. 1226. Organ accompaniments for anthems and Anglican chants, copied in the last quarter of the 18th century; includes autograph works by William Crotch, dated in the 1790s.
• Mus. 1225. Organ accompaniments for anthems and services, copied probably in the 1820s.