ONLINE CATALOGUE OF MUSIC SOURCE MATERIALS AT CHRIST CHURCH,OXFORD

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News bulletin 2: first posted 12 January 2006; most recently updated on 17 October 2007

*** New on 17 October 2007: ***
Mus. 1220-4: THE CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL PARTBOOKS
An inventory and description is now available of Mus. 1220-4, the principal set of partbooks used by the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral in the post-Restoration era. Although the set is incomplete (three of its eight original partbooks are now missing), it is still of major importance both repertorially and historically. Copying was begun in the mid 1640s by Zacharie Irishe, a Windsor-based scribe who had access to new and rare music; because of this, the Christ Church partbooks contain early and sometimes unique copies of the pieces he chose to include. In the later 17th century the set was expanded considerably by singing-men and organists at Christ Church itself, and the partbooks offer a panorama of different copyists' hands, including those of Edward Lowe, Henry Aldrich and Richard Goodson Sr. They also show how the Cathedral repertory expanded to include music by John Blow, Henry Purcell, and compositions and arrangements by the Dean of Christ Church himself, Henry Aldrich. Embedded within this description of Mus. 1220-4 are links to many related pages within the Online Catalogue.

SURVIVING MUSIC-BOOKS FROM CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL

*** New on 13 December 2006: ***
SOURCES OF PLAINCHANT AT CHRIST CHURCH
Christ Church Library holds a wide range of notated liturgical books of the Sarum and Roman rites that usefully complements its better-known collections of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century church polyphony. Follow this link for further details of these items.

THE GOODSON BEQUEST

MUSIC COPIED BY HENRY ALDRICH

MUSIC COPIED BY EDWARD LOWE

OTHER COPYISTS AND OWNERS

• John Blow (1648?-1708). Five holograph or autograph music manuscripts by this major English composer have been identified at Christ Church. A list of them is given at the end of the entry for Mus. 14.
• John Church (1647-1741). This singer-composer is principally remembered today as one of the principal (and most elegant) music scribes of his age. Four music manuscripts at Christ Church were copied wholly or partly by him; they are listed at the end of the entry for Mus. 50.
• Sampson Estwick (1656/7-1739). A clergyman closely associated with Aldrich and Christ Church, who both composed music and wrote about music. A list of items associated with him is given at the end of the entry for Mus. 1142b (f. 51).
• Christopher Gibbons (c1615-76). Composer, organist, and son of Orlando Gibbons. For a list of items associated with him, see the end of the entry for Mus 92.
• Henry Hall (i) (c.1656-1707). Several pieces by this composer-poet survive uniquely in holograph manuscripts at Christ Church. See the list at the end of the entry for Mus. 1212(B).
• William Husbands (c1665-1701). A Christ Church Cathedral musician, who also composed and undertook music copying. A list of items linked with him is given at the end of the entry for Mus.10.
• Francis Pigott (c.1666-1704). A group of manuscripts has been tentatively linked to Francis Pigott, organist of St John's College, Oxford in the mid 1680s, and organist of Magdalen College, Oxford in 1686-8; see the list at the end of the entry for Mus. 865(A).
• James Talbot (1664-1708). A Cambridge don and clergyman, who is best known today for his copious collection of notes on the history of instruments (Mus. 1187). Various music manuscripts either copied by Talbot or linked with him have now been identified at Christ Church; they are listed at the end of the entry for Mus. 1152.
• *** New on 30 January 2007:*** Matthew Locke (c.1622-77). Composer and organist. A list of items copied by him is given at the end of the entry for Mus. 772-6.
• *** New on 1 March 2007:*** Francis Withy (c. 1645-1727). Singer, viol player and copyist, employed as a singing-man at Christ Church Cathedral from 1670 to his death. A list of items copied by him is given at the end of the entry for Mus. 337.