Christ Church Library music catalogue

RICHARD GOODSON SR: THE AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPTS

John Milsom

*** N.B. Additions to this page will be made 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. ***

Introduction

Richard Goodson Sr (c.1655-1718), organist of Christ Church Cathedral from 1692 until his death, is one of the most conspicuous copyists of music manuscripts in the Christ Church collection. Other manuscripts written by him, now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, reflect his additional duties as professor of music at the University. The following list of autograph manuscripts by Goodson Sr now at Christ Church is divided into three categories:

Goodson's sketches, drafts and fair copies of his own compositions.
Goodson's fair copies of music by other composers.
Books that were apparently used by Goodson Sr for teaching choristers and keyboard pupils.

Brief descriptions are given below, together with hypertext links to pages that provide fuller information and inventories.

Many of the manuscripts in the following list are known or can be assumed to have reached Christ Church as part of the Goodson bequest. Those marked with a double cross (++) definitely did so; those marked with a single cross (+) probably did so. However, Goodson is known to have copied music for others, including Henry Aldrich. Items marked with a double asterisk (**) definitely reached Christ Church as part of the Aldrich bequest; those with a single asterisk (*) probably or possibly did so. Items unmarked by either a cross or an asterisk are of unknown provenance, and might have been donated to Christ Church by either Aldrich or Goodson Jr.

1. Sketches, drafts and fair copies of compositions by Goodson Sr:

++Mus. 22a: fair copy of 'Blessed is he whose unrighteousness'.
++Mus. 616: Te Deum & Jubilate in C; sketches for ode 'Janus, did ever'.
++Mus. 617: odes 'O qui potenti' and 'Ormond's Glory'.
++Mus. 618: nine Oxford Act songs (or sections thereof).
++Mus. 619 (ff. 28-30) (at f. 30): addition to ode by Sampson Estwick.
+Mus. 1141d (f. 128): draft keyboard piece (plus music copied by Edward Lowe).
+Mus. 1142a (ff. 21-2): part of draft for ode 'Laurus cruentas'.
+Mus. 1142a (ff. 23-8): part of draft for ode 'Io triumphe' etc.
+Mus. 1142a (ff. 32-3): continuo part for 'A shepherd charm'd'.
+Mus. 1142b (ff. 56-7): fragments from an unidentified ode.
+Mus. 1154(G): 'All things are hush'd', for three voices and continuo.
+Mus. 1154(L): 'A shepherd charmd with Evry Grace' for soprano and continuo.
+Mus. 1173 (items 5-9): church music, copied in score.
+Mus. 1215(10): 'Hi jinko brisco alphonzo' (doggerel song on a ground bass).
+Mus. 1219(G): 'I am well pleased that the Lord hath heard', short score.
+Mus. 1219(H): 'Not unto us O Lord', score.
+Mus. 1219(I-T): score (Mus. 1219I) of 'Rejoice in the Lord O ye righteous'.
+Mus. 1219(U): sketches, including part of 'Not unto us O Lord'.

2. Fair copies by Goodson of music by other composers:

++Mus. 3 (ff. 39-70): instrumental works by Bassani and Purcell, copied in score.
*Mus. 8 (layer 5): madrigals by Palestrina, copied in score.
Mus. 13: motets by Graziani and Carissimi, copied in score.
*Mus. 17 (end only): motets by Graziani, copied in score.
++Mus. 22 (layers 1-2): anthems by Blow, Purcell etc., copied in score.
++Mus. 23: motets, liturgical works, Lully, etc., copied in score.
*Mus. 37 (pp. 59-74): madrigals by Pomponio Nenna, copied in score.
++Mus. 37 (pp. 99-138): John Blow, 'Venus and Adonis', copied in score.
*Mus. 48 (start): motets by Colonna and Bassani, copied in score.
*Mus. 51: cantatas by Giacomo Carissimi, copied in score.
*Mus. 52: cantatas by Giacomo Carissimi, copied in score.
*Mus. 54: cantatas by Giacomo Carissimi, copied in score.
+Mus. 350: songs, motets, cantatas and other vocal works, copied in score.
++Mus. 468-72, Layer 2: vocal and instrumental parts (Henry Purcell etc.).
++Mus. 619 (ff. 6-11): additions to Aldrich's 'Jam satis somno'.
Mus. 620 (pp. 102-133): instrumental music by C. Gibbons and Purcell.
Mus. 620 (pp. 134-161): Fantasy-Almain-Galliard sets by Coprario.
**Mus. 1002 (items 15-16): English service music and anthems, copied in score.
++Mus. 1006-9 (item 19 only): 2 unidentified movements for two trebles and bass.
+Mus. 1114: Blow's 'Venus and Adonis'; anthem by Aldrich.
Mus. 1141b (ff. 105-10): keyboard score for John Blow, ode 'Gesta Britannica'.
Mus. 1142a (ff. 21-2): chorus from John Blow, 'Venus and Adonis', adapted.
Mus. 1142b (ff. 52-3): soprano part for John Blow, ode 'Gesta Britannica'.
Mus. 1154(H): incomplete score of Alphonse d'Eve, 'Alma redemptoris mater'.
+Mus. 1174: Henry Purcell, Sonnata's of III. Parts (1683), copied in score.
+Mus. 1176: keyboard book copied by Edward Lowe with additions by Goodson Sr.
++Mus. 1177: keyboard book begun by Edward Lowe, expanded by Goodson Sr.
Mus. 1215(7): three pieces in keyboard score.
Mus. 1215(8): fragment of Carissimi, cantata 'Sciolto havean dall'alte sponde'.

3. Books used by Goodson for teaching purposes:

+Mus. 359: includes rudiments, psalm tunes and keyboard works.
+Mus. 360: vocal exercises, treble voice-parts, and rudiments for singers.
+Mus. 389: vocal exercises, treble voice-parts, and rudiments for singers.
+Mus. 580: keyboard and vocal lessons for Catherine Brooks, c.1700.
+Mus. 598: voice-parts, catches and keyboard pieces, probably used by adult men.
See also:
++ Mus. 1003: keyboard music, probably used for teaching by Goodson Sr, but not copied by him.
++ Mus. 960: choristers' book, used for teaching by Richard Goodson Jr, 1720s.